the shock of a lifetime
by lana123
Summary: It was a normal day for Lana, Evie, Scoble, Megan and Caitlain. But that all changed when an anomaly opened in there class room and Murtagh, hansom and ever, jumped out and pulled them back through to his home world, Alegasia. after book 3 in 2 POV's.
1. Chapter 1

Evie smiled sweetly at Mr Edwards as he bellowed at her for the fourth

time that science lesson, his volumous lips wobbling as he did so.

"I am fed up of you and charlotte disrupting my lessons!"

"Its Scoble sir!" Scoble corrected from next to her. He turned to her

and she winced, not because she was scared but because his face was so

god damn ugly she felt sorry for all the mirrors it had smashed.

"OUT!" He yelled pointing towards the red door with one of his scabby hands.

"Why?!" Scoble asked staying where she was.

"JUST GET OUT!" He shouted in her face, particles of his own saliva

flying around the room.

"Not until you tell me why!"

"OUT!"

"But what have I done!?"

It all happened rather quickly. Just then Megan and Lana who were seated

directly behind them thought it would be funny the tip the entire

contents of the plastic container of magnesium into the flame of their

Bunsen burner. Stupid idiots. It flared so brightly Mr Edwards

dumfoundedly span around on the spot to see what was going on, exactly

what he shouldn't have done. The light blinded him then he tripped over

Caitlain's bag; which she had left sticking out from underneath one of

the tables. All of the girls on the corner table spontaneously started

screaming as Mr Edwards fell head first into the flame, singeing off

half off his greasy hair and one eyebrow. He yelled and flung himself

backwards, falling to the floor, revealing the extent of the burns. They

just couldn't help it and Lana, Evie, Caitlain, Scoble and Megan broke

into pealing fits laughter. I know it sounded harsh but you would

seriously understand if you had met this guy. He got back to onto his

feet and turned to them with a look of such loathing hatred it could

have burned a hole through metal. He managed to contain himself, but

only just. He yelled and slammed one fist onto Evie's desk, causing her

pencil case to roll off the edge.

"You are ALL going to sit in silence until a substitute arrives!" He

shouted then stormed from the room, his hand still covering the burnt

side of his face. The whole class sat in a stubbed silence for several

seconds before they suddenly all broke into conversation, mainly about

how delighted they all were. They sat there chattering for several

minutes without any interruptions before a man swept in through the

door. He had a posh looking leather book bag which he slammed on the

desk, a pinstripe suit, stylish brown hair and black rimmed spectacles.

"Morning class!" He called cheerfully "I'm the Doctor! Are you sitting

comfortably?!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**This first paragraph was short, I know, but you cant blame me for it. My friend (evie 898) wrote this bit. It started as a docx exchange and has sort of escalated in the three weeks or so since I challenged her to it. At the moment it is about 72 pages long, all saved to my computer, and so I thought I had better upload it. Please review, cause I will only keep on uploading it if you do!**

**lana123**


	2. Chapter 2

**Not part of the story!!! Please note--- IT does not mean all things to do with computers, it means the teacher Evie described in the first paragraph, the horrible MR Edwards *shudders* so now you are clued in, tahdah! **

Lana frowned at the man while Evie and Megan looked at each other and giggled as quietly as they possibly could.

"doctor of what?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"no, just the doctor." he told her patiently.

"but that's not a name though!" she demanded in a way that resembled a toddler. Scoble thought that she would have stamped her foot if she could have. Evie just rolled her eyes at her friend and looked sympathetically at the strange, VERY hot man.

Only IT should have to put up with this, she thought then mentally cringed as she thought of IT's face, ugh. Feeling like she might just be sick Evie nudged Lana and whispered

"Lana, stop bothering the poor man," before looking round for her pencil before realizing it was still on the floor. After picking it up she carried on writing her note to Megan. Lana, thankfully, had done what Evie had asked and was now looking at him expectantly, obviously waiting for him to tell the class what they had to do.

Instead he simply turned round and read what was written on the board before turning back with a puzzled expression.

"what year are you in?" he asked.

"year nine," Megan answered almost immediately, her obsession with Carlisle Cullen and all things twilight so obviously forgotten.

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**This time you can blame me for the short chapter, but I will tell you it gets better from here. I will post all this together as it reads better that way. **

**Review, review, review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning----- if you giggled quietly when reading the last paragraph, then don't read this one, you might end up snorting!!!**

"hu," he said before turning back to the board as If to read it again.

"How would you like to do something more interesting?" he asked turning

to them with a wicked grin playing on his lips.

"Like what?!" Evie murmured, eyeing him suspiciously.

"How about a quick field trip?" The doctor suggested, digging around in

his leather book bag. After a couple of seconds he pulled out something

that was far from a book. It was a small whirring device with a bleeping

light on the top and a long antenna. He walked over to an unoccupied

corner of the lab and pointed it into thin air before pressing a button

and ribbons of silvery white light shot out of the end and transformed

into an anomaly before their very eyes.

"What the…?" Megan exclaimed in an astounded whisper.

"Is it just me or has the world suddenly gone crazy?!" Scoble exclaimed

then her eyes fell on her water bottle on the desk. She suddenly shot an

accusing glare over at Caitlain. "You better not have put magic

mushrooms in my drink!"

"Scoble you're not hallucinating, we can all see it!" Lana said, her

confused gaze not straying from the anomaly, swirling in the corner.

They seemed to be the only people at that particular moment in time in

the room that managed to keep their sanity. The bunch or girls on the

desk in the opposite corner of the room were screaming at the top of

their lungs and Chloe had feinted flat on her face.

"Hang on…" The Doctor said ever so quietly to himself as if he was

trying to prevent anyone else from hearing but Evie, who was

exceptionally good at ear waggling heard. "Something's not right…"He

whispered. Evie's head snapped round as the anomaly beside her began to

flicker. Something was coming through…

"What is it?" Lana whispered in her ear.

"Don't know…" She squeaked in reply. "I think somethi…" Suddenly

everything seemed to happen at once.

"NO!"The Doctor bellowed, lurching forward, but he was too late. Someone

grabbed Evie from behind then before she knew it there was an iridescent

red blade pressed to her throat. She let out a terrified scream and she

heard her own heart hammering in her ears.

"Let her go!" The doctor yelled at the mysterious threatening stranger.

"No!" He snarled. Evie warily looked round into the face of the man. She

estimated he was around 18 and he was ludicrously handsome, with a mop

of dark brown, blacky hair and dark eyes.

"Just…" The Doctor stuttered, he was evidently getting desperate "Just

put the sword down…"

"You try to follow me and you die!" The stranger growled at him. He

wrapped one of his strong arms round Evie's neck as he removed the sword

to point it at the Doctor. He walked slowly backwards through towards

the anomaly.

"Hey bitch if I'm dying you're coming with me!" Evie screamed and she

grabbed Lana's hand, who grabbed Scoble's and they all went toppling

backwards through the anomaly onto hard damp earth. Evie groaned as her

cheek slammed against the hard earth and she looked up just in time to

see the anomaly close. She stayed motionless for several, unable to come

to terms with what had just happened.

"Scoble…" She moaned as she looked around the clearing they were in. It

was small, only about four meters in diameter, the overhanging branches

of oak trees preventing any grass from growing or sunlight reaching

them. Beyond the surrounding oaks the trees were thick, by the looks of

it deciduous and evergreen.

"Get up!" The strangers deep voice growled from behind and he prodded

something that felt horribly like a sword into her back.

"Ok!" She squeaked and got to her feet rather quickly. He forcefully

shoved her aside then went over to Scoble and Lana who were both still

hunched on the ground. He looked as if he was about to hack them to

pieces before Evie jumped defensively in his way.

"Move!" He growled threateningly.

"No!" She replied simply

"I don't think you quite understand…"

"If you want to kill my friends you're going to have to kill me as well!"

He stood there with a thunderous look upon his handsome visage for

several seconds and for a minute Evie was afraid he would do just that

but then he sheathed his sword.

"I will respect your wishes. Only because I don't want to make an enemy

of you but if you dare cross me…" Evie didn't personally know what the

hell he was on about and it was a bit late for him to say he didn't want

to make an enemy of her when he had kidnapped her and her friends, wait

her and she had accidentally dragged her friends along and he had

pressed a blade to her throat.

"You guys alright?!" She asked turning to them as he stalked off.

"Yea I'm good!"Lana said in a shaky reply.

"Scoble?" She asked

"I don't know about you but he is FIT!"

**~*~*~*~*~*~**

**That bit was, surprisingly. Evie again. And I would like to dedicate this paragraph to ambrele as she is the first person to review this, ever! Please review and maybe if I text evie whay y'all have said she might just write her next bit quicker!**


	4. Chapter 4

Somewhere else randomly in the woods...

"did you hear that?" becker asked, stopping in his tracks. conner and abbie stopped to, knowing becker had been listening out for anything that sounded remotely like monsters.

"i didn't hear anything," abbie said, looking round uncomfortably all the same.

"there, it came from this direction." becker told them, walking quicker now with abbie and conner following closely behind. after a few minutes all three could hear the disruption.

they crouched behind some bushes and saw three girls, a man and behind them an anomaly that was rapidly closing.

"i don't know about you but he is fit!" one girl told the other two. All three giggled and started after the man without him needing to tell them. becker tensed as he saw the sword the man was carrying, fearing for there lives even if they didn't.

"on three we move," becker whispered as quietly as he could. "1,2,3!" he said, on three charging from the bushes they were hiding and after the man. evie spun round to the disturbance just as becker ran past her and knocked the man over the head with his gun, having left abbie and conner behind in his rush.

"oh my god!" evie squealed looking at captain becker. At first Lana and Scoble thought it was because of his gun till they realized who it was. "my hero!" she told him, hugging him tight then kissing his cheek, breathing in the CB smell. "hmmmm..." she mumbled not seeming to realize "captain becker..." scoble and lana did a high five, seemingly not freaked out by the fact they were stood in a wood or that becker was still holding a gun whilst abbie and connor laughed quietly at the man's discomfort.

"hey, what are you doing with him?" the doctor asked from behind them and everyone turned to look at him and the reopened anomaly behind him. "come on! get a move on! if we don't close this thing again in 27.8888888888889 seconds then the world will implode!" he told the group. at this everyone got a move on, going back through the anomaly and into their class room, evie linking arms with becker a dreamy look on her face...

**don't worry, this isn't the end yet! It just seems like it. The next few chapters are so random its unbelievable. **


	5. Chapter 5

They thought it was the classroom anyway until they got through to the other side of the anomaly. Then they realised it wasn't.

"Uhhh…" Evie stuttered to the Doctor, hastily unlinking arms with Becker soon as he looked exceedingly uncomfortable about the whole situation. "I thought you said this was going to take us back home!"

"It was supposed to…" He said, whacking the side of his small whirring machine with his hand. It seeming didn't do any good at all. Actually the thing sputtered then went dead. They all looked around the bleak landscape. It was still daytime and they were in the middle of a baron desert, sand dunes towering on either side of them. And the cloudless blue sky lining the horizon but in a desert a cloudless blue sky isn't a good thing.

"What happened?!" Lana asked walking forward and scuffing her favourite babycham shoes in the sand. Evie could feel the heat on her face as she gazed around.

"I don't know…" The Doctor muttered.

"That's not good he's supposed to be the one with all the answers!" Evie cried.

"I'm guessing that the battery on my universal particle decompramizer must have packed in half way through the process, hence forth only creating a anomaly that took us half way there!"

"Great!" Scoble exclaimed. "So we're stuck in the middle of the desert with a know it all in a tight suit, Sid and Nancy and soldier boy!"

"Why does everyone call me that?!" Becker growled.

"Not stuck as such…" Evie said looking back over her shoulder at the anomaly they had come through which was now rapidly showing signs of deterioration. "Personally I would rather be stuck in Alagaesia than the Sahara desert millions of years ago. Plus I've always wanted to meet Saphira!" She added. Scoble rolled her eyes but she couldn't deny that she was right. Evie, flanked by Lana and Scoble turned and jogged through the anomaly.

When they got back something was different and they quickly realised what it was. Murtagh had gone. The patch of earth where he had lain unconscious, knocked out by Becker's gun was now abandoned. Evie couldn't help the fear that ruptured in her stomach like a flock of butterflies. Becker, beside her noticed this as well and he trained the point of his gun on just about every tree in the area.

"How did you get here?!" Evie asked him "Maybe we can get back that way!"

"We came through an anomaly" He said, his eyes never leaving the shadows which lurked in amongst the dense mass of trees.

"Great!" She smiled "Where is it?!"

"It shut a couple of seconds after we came through otherwise we wouldn't be here!"

"Great!" She said again but this time it wasn't half as enthusiastically.

"We need to make camp." He said looking at the horizon over which the sun was rapidly sinking. He was right. There must have been some time difference when they had come through the anomaly it had only been 2 o'clock in the afternoon back home. She wasn't even remotely tired and she guessed none of the others were too but they couldn't try to find their way through a wood like this in the dark. They would all get lost. Suddenly she found al these dirty images filling her mind at the prospect of her and Becker sleeping just a few meters away from each other. No mustn't think that! Ewww that was disgusting! He may be fit, exceedingly fit, okay hotter than a house on fire but she barely knew him.

"Come on!" He said going back to talk to the others. Evie looked as the anomaly flickered shut a few meters away. They were stuck here for now… But Evie didn't give a toss. She was with captain Becker!

**Evie wrote this part, and as you could tell she has one whopping great crush on Becker. Hope you liked it and you are lucky that I decided to upload this many chapters in one night to be honest. **

**Also sorry if you felt as uncomfortable reading that as I would have. **

**Please please read my other stories, all both that were my own ideas have a total of 1 review each!**


	6. Chapter 6

The group of people went to sleep a little while later in one giant tree, huddled together to keep warm. Lana noticed ,with a suppressed giggle, that evie soon scooted closer to Becker, the man she had devoted some much of her time searching the internet for pictures of.

Everyone had agreed that there was no point anyone should keep watch for a couple of reasons. 1) they would never see anyone through the dense leaves, which meant no-one could see them either 2) there would be no way of holding anyone off anyway as the only weapon they had was Becker's gun and the stick lana had refused to let go of since finding that she really was trapped here.

***

Lana was surprised to find that she was the first to 'wake up' the next morning. Not only because she had expected at least SOMEONE to be up first, maybe evie with her unlimited energy, but also that as far as she could tell she was the last to fall asleep. Which probably meant she was as though she hadn't told her friends she was secretly an elf who had come through an anomaly, such as a little while ago, and had decided to stay. Keeping a firm grasp on her only weapon, the stick she had found earlier that was thick enough that she might not snap it accidently, she did a back flip out of the tree and landed gracefully with her knees slightly bent. She knew that she would have to tell her friends about her heritage soon enough, and also that if they kept walking in the direction they had been last night they would soon stumble across the very place I had been brought up. I straightened up properly for the first time since I had last been alone before taking a deep breath. I needed to at least tell the group before other elves found us and reconised me. I took a deep breath and listened for the faint yet steady thrumming of a near by stream and almost silently walked quickly towards it, hoping that no-one would be awake when I got back. At the street I washed my face, had a quick drink and tried to fix my hair so that no-one would be able to see my pointed ears before heading back. The makeshift camp was oozing with activity when I walked back, but having hear them from further away I had changed my stance so I looked smaller and made sure to make noise when walking, though it pained me to do so.

"where the hell have you been?" scoble asked as soon as I had gotten close. She quickly went up to me and hugged me tightly, as if scared that if she let me go I would disappear again.

"sorry guys, you were asleep when I got up so I went to find a stream." I told them. No-one asked anymore questions and by unspoken agreement I took them to the stream then we started walking again.

***

A few hours into the trek and everyone around me were dragging there feet slightly more than usually and breathing more heavily. We were so close to the city now I knew I would be able to hear them soon, which meant they would hear us. Only Becker, abbie and the doctor were not out of breath and I knew this was the best time to tell them.

"umm… guys?" I asked to them. Everyone stopped and looked at me, I shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. "I umm… need to tell y-you something. Do you wanna stop for a while?" I asked. We all sat down, me out front my legs crossed and facing them all, bracing myself for the long and tiresome explanation

**Hope that wasn't to confusing. I wrote that bit and the next is so very, very strange that even I was laughing hysterically and im used to evie. So sorry in advance.**


	7. Chapter 7

Evie was grateful for any excuse to plonk herself down on the ground and by the looks of it Scoble was too. She slumped down exhausted at the base of a massive tree trunk and gazed expectantly at Lana to let her know that she was listening, as did everyone else.

"Ummm…"Lana started. She looked slightly uncomfortable with all the attention on her. "Yea well I'm not exactly, well… I AM A GODFORSAKEN ELF! THERE I SAID IT!" She looked as is she was expecting us to scream at the top of our lungs and run as fast as we could into the depths of the forest.

"Well that explains a lot!" The Doctor said cheerfully as if he was trying to boost team moral. "I'm a time lord for those of you who didn't know!" He grinned, "That's not exactly human either!"

"Yea and I'm a were wolf!" Scoble laughed. Evie sent a shocked glance to where Scoble was sitting on her left, thinking about it she could actually see the resemblance. (Scoble is going to throttle me if she reads this!)

"Yea and Me and Connor are vampires!" Abby chipped in. And she and him both reached up and removed contacts from their eyes to reveal their iris's which were a deep golden colour. Everyone's gaze switched to Becker.

"I don't react well with kryptonite!" He admitted. Evie backed away from everyone and hugged her knees as there gazes switched to her as if they were waiting for her to confess that at the full moon she grew long shaggy hair like Scoble and had a big pink wet nose.

"Oh my god! Am I the only human here!" She screamed

"yep!" they all laughed at her.

**I did warn you. We made this story real hard for ourselves, didn't we?**


	8. Chapter 8

She sighed before getting back up.

"I KNEW you smelled kinda weird," I told scoble as I got my special locket and opened it before pressing it. The world shimmered and there were surprised gasps from almost everyone around me.

"there, that's better!"

***

I watched fascinated as lana, who I now knew was an elf, opened her locket and did something before swiftly taking it off, throwing it on the floor and staping on it. The locket smashed and when I looked up I realized what it had been for.

The woman standind before me had long black hair with green streaks, deep green eyes that mirrored the colour of the surrounding forest almost exactly and a mouth turned up in a smile. She was quiet a bit taller than even the doctor and was wearing a flowing green dress. Everyone, including me, gasped and she smiled.

"ellesmira's this way," she told us before starting to walk quickly and silently through the trees, not waiting for even me. And why would she? I was just an ordinary human. I wasn't kal-el (superman), I couldn't fly or reshape metal with my bare hands, I didn't grow hair in the moonlight and I certainly didn't drink blood to stay alive!

I sighed again before following after everyone.

**Sorry for the brief chapter but that was my fault. **

**don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Of coarse all the others being super human/alien freaks I tired before all of them and after a couple of short miles I slumped down at the bottom of a tree trunk, the soft moss that carpeted the ancient forest floor, comforting my fall.

"How much further is it?!"I moaned.

"Only about fifteen miles!" Lana replied staring at me with those beautiful, transfixing green eyes, which I still hadn't grown used to. I glared at all of their handsome and beautiful faces and thought how god damn ugly I must look compared to all of them. Connor and Abby both peered kindly back at me with their golden eyes Becker had somehow got even more handsome but when I thought that he was an alien it made me feel slightly better. The Doctor looked at me with kind, intelligent eyes with Scoble next to him who seemed to radiate a faint lunar light and long dark chocolate curls framed her pretty face and Lana… words couldn't describe…

"Fifteen miles!" I yelled and I exasperatedly dragged my eyes away from her and gazed skywards. What small fractions I could see of it was a deep blue, almost bluer than I had ever seen the sky and old knotted branches twisted constructed the canopy far above me. I liked it here it was peaceful, no cars or people rushing around and no electricity pylons or planes jetting across the sky. I suddenly switched my attention back to everyone else who were all looking at me expectantly as Scoble let out a small impatient cough.

"I guess I'll just have to put up with it!" I said sighing and getting to my feet.

"I can go on ahead with her!" Becker offered suddenly, him being superman and all.

"Yea!" I exclaimed a little to eagerly and everyone looked at me with raised eyebrows. "I mean it would be better for you guys…!" I hastily added, "I'm just slowing you down!"

"Sounds like an alright idea…" Lana murmured. "But you'll have to wait for us at the border, they wont allow just you access to the city. Just fly north east for roughly fourteen miles and stay there. We'll be able to find you"

"Okay" Becker said, coming over to me. Me unable to resist the opportunity didn't even complain as he swept me into his unnaturally strong arms. My stomach seemed to be left behind as he leapt into the air upwards through the dense mass of foliage then we were soaring over the forest, the trees stretched endlessly like a sea of green in every direction. I couldn't help the grin that spread all over my face as the wind swept my long blonde hair back behind me. I laughed as birds seemed to looked at us with astounded eyes as if to say 'what the fuck?!' Several of them flew close to investigate then flew away again. I felt my heart hammering in my chest at the thrill of adrenaline of being so high above the ground with nothing but the arms of a Kryptonian wrapped around my waist and arms. I was slightly cold in my thin blue strappy top, thin grey hoodie and three quarter length jeans. I was just glad that I had decided to put my white Primark trainers on rather than my dolly shoes yesterday morning, I would have so lost them by now. Even with the sun beating down on my shoulders from in between the white fluffy clouds I was still cold and after five minutes I was shivering.

"Not much longer to go now!" Becker said in my ear when suddenly something blotted out the light of the sun and the snap of the wind as it rushed out from underneath the beating of giant wings almost deafened us. I gave a scared gasp and looked upwards only to be blinded by the light reflected off of the giant red dragons scales. Thorn. I felt my blood roar in my ears. The light obviously blinded Becker as well as he did nothing to prevent Thorns tail from smashing into his side and I felt his arms go slack around me and we both went catapulting, down, down, down. The wind prevented me from opening my eyes and I couldn't hear anything but it roaring in my ears. I couldn't even see my own death as I plummeted rapidly towards it…

Something slammed into me but it wasn't the ground. Another pair of arm wrapped themselves around me as they halted my rapid descent and I immediately knew they weren't Becker's Something else hit me in the chest and left me badly winded. I opened my eyes to see myself draped over Thorns broad back. I tried to scream as I reflexively held on for dear life but I found my whole chest hurt, I couldn't even breath properly. I saw Du Weldenvarden flashing past underneath me, so fast it almost just looked like an indistinctive blur and I looked up to see Murtagh's solemn face looking back at me. I suddenly became very conscious of his hands on my waist as he gently pulled me upright.

"Let me go!" I tried to scream but I could barely manage more than a wheezy choke.

"Are you sure about that?!" He said in my ear. Any normal person would have said that with a bit of humour in their voice but not him. His was blank and cold but I could detect a slight edge of sadness to it as well. I decided not to reply he obviously couldn't be bargained with. He placed me with his strong arms on the saddle in front of him and tightened the leg straps around my legs so in case Thorn did any complicated aerobatic movements I wouldn't fall out. He seemed to fasten them deliberately tight as if he wanted to cause me pain and I let out a moan in protest but he ignored me. So I decided to shut up, I certainly didn't want to anger him as we were well over a mile in the air. Thorns gentle rocking movements underneath me were relaxing and I was drifting into a state of semi consciousness when Murtagh suddenly asked me

"What's your name?"

"Evie" I squeaked quietly and I felt him nod behind me. I had a million question's running through my mind. Why did he want me? How did Alageasia even exist? Did my friends know what had happened? Had they even realised I was missing yet? Would I ever see home again? I felt a coupe of tears roll down my cheeks where they were swiftly blown away by the wind.

'You're crying' Murtagh acknowledged.

'Yes! What of it?!' I snapped. I folded my arms in front of me and I tried to inch as far away from him as I could but the straps made it rather difficult and I eventually gave in. He suddenly put his hand on my arm and squeezed it tight, really tight so much it hurt and I let out a little pained gasp. The message was clear. Behave or I can make your life really miserable. I shrugged him off and leaned forward against the pommel of the saddle and delicately traced my fingers through the contours in between Thorns scales, thankfully neither of them seemed to mind, maybe Thorn couldn't feel it. I did it for hours on end and I gradually grew in confidence and felt one of his neck spikes then tapped his scales to see how hard they were and by how hard I tapped they were pretty hard. I lost track of time and I watched as we flew out from over Du Weldenvarden and over a vast grass plane. It took nearly two days before they had to stop for rest all that time I had been drifting in and out of sleep. Thorn glided down into a hollow not far from a large river that was sheltered by trees. They were not the same trees that had been in Du Weldenvarden. They were younger, not half as big. They were very similar to the trees back home. Thorn landed gracefully on the dry ground that was dotted with patches of poorly nourished grass. Several rock formations jutted out from the ground at certain points, one of them creating an apt looking shelter. Then sudden lack of his in flight rocking motions made me feel dizzy and I swayed slightly and gripped the pommel for support. Murtagh reached down and undid the straps around both his and my legs and he leapt the great distance from Thorns back to the ground with out any hesitation. If I had done that I would have done my leg in for sure. Thorn seemed to realize this and he knelt down until he was flat on his stomach and I carefully inched myself from the saddle and slid down his side. I was still unable to prevent myself from falling over, after two days my legs were unaccustomed to the weight of my body and they gave way underneath me, letting me fall to the ground. I sighed and shakily got to my unsteady feet before hobbling over to a comfy looking rock and slouching onto it. It was all right as far as rocks go and I wearily let my headrest against the tree beside me. I gazed around at my surroundings. Rock formations, trees and patches of dead grass in a dry hollow surrounded us. I knew there was no point in trying to run. Murtagh would catch me before I had even run a hundred meters and it would only make him angry. I surreptitiously glanced over at Thorn as he made his way over to Murtagh's side who was assembling a fire out of dead pieces of wood. I somehow managed to build up the courage to go over and face them and I got up from my rock (it is officially my rock now) and walked over to them. It didn't take long before Murtagh heard me and he stood up and glared down at me as if he was trying to make himself even more intimidating.

'Uhh....' I stuttered and I almost thought the better of it but I managed to keep going. 'What do you want with me?' I demanded.

'Why should I answer your intolerable questions!' He growled and I took an uncertain step backwards at his hostility.

'I have a right to know!' I said not sounding half as confident as I wanted to be.

' If you really want to know it is not what I want with you it is what the king wants with you! And I do not know what that thing is but be assured soon as it's the king we are talking about it is not likely going to be good!' I swallowed the hard lump that had formed in my throat and Murtagh turned away from me and it was obvious that our short conversation was over. I walked in a confused daze back over to my rock and sat down. The king wanted me? Why? How did he even know about me? I knew of his reputation and now dreaded the moment I stood before him. What could he possibly want with me? Night had rapidly drawn in and now only the thousands of stars lighted the sky, more than I had ever seen in my entire life. I supposed it was because of the lack of light pollution. People here still lived by candle light. I slid of the boulder onto the hard earth and let my head and upper torso rest on it instead. I flicked my long hair round in front of me so it hid my face and I tried to get to sleep but it was hard and cold. I was too far away from the fire to benefit from its heat. I peaked out from in between a thick lock of my hair to look at Thorn and Murtagh. I was surprised they hadn't gone to sleep yet neither of them had slept at all on the journey. It was obvious they were giving a conversation. I knew about the way a dragon and their rider shared thoughts kind of like telepathy. From what I could see of Murtagh's face in the dim, flickering firelight he was edgy for some reason. He clenched his jaw and looked over at me. For a second I thought he might have seen that I was watching but then he dragged his eyes away again. I saw Thorn look over at him and he looked at me again then he suddenly looked angry and he glared at his dragon but Thorn mood remained calm and Murtagh's mood gradually softened. The he looked troubled my something and started rocking on the spot then he looked over at me again then dragged his gaze away as if he was annoyed at himself. I couldn't understand why. Just then I looked over at Thorn again and with a shock horror realised that he was gazing at me intently. He knew I had been watching them and my stomach seemed to do a flip inside of me. I rolled over to break the gaze but I could still feel his eyes boring into my back. I lay motionless for over an hour and the light of the fire gradually grew dim behind me and I thought that Murtagh must have gone to sleep. Cold started to seep through my thin clothes though and I started to shiver. However much I tried I couldn't sleep and I was chilled to the bone. Suddenly I heard a disturbance behind me and didn't dare look round to see what it was then I recognized the sound of Thorns heavy footfalls as he made his way over to me. I almost stopped breathing I was so scared but then he simply came and curled around me which I thought was a bit odd. Immediately I felt warmer. His body seemed to radiate heat. My shivering ceased but I didn't relax. All of sudden I felt a presence at the corner of my mind, an alien presence. I stiffened in alarm but then I heard Thorns voice in my head.

'Calm...' He hushed 'I mean you no harm' His voice was sounded honest and I believed him.

'Why are you here' I asked

' You were cold' He replied simply.

'But I thought you both hated me!'

'I do not hate you and Murtagh's feelings are...' He paused 'Complicated. He is constantly at war with himself and doesn't like to become close to people'

'Why' I asked softly.

'In case they end up getting hurt, he hates himself for who he is'

Hearing this I felt pity swell inside of me. I couldn't imagine putting up with what he did day after day, watching his friends dies as he was forced to fight against them and all of them believing that he was evil when he never wanted to be. He just didn't have a choice. Thinking of this just made me loath Galbatorix even more. How could he do that to somebody? My head was tired and thinking to that extent made it hurt. Gradually my eyes begin to droop and Thorns warmth lulled me into a light sleep.

***

I woke to find that Thorn was no longer by my side and I was bathed in weak early morning sunshine. My side that I had been lying on was cold and damp where it had pressed against the earth. I looked over to see that Thorn had returned to Murtagh who was just beginning to stir. No more than a couple of meters away in between the tree I heard the faint trickle of a stream. I got up onto my feet and trying to make as little noise as possible made my way over towards the source of the noise hopefully I would be back before he noticed otherwise he would most likely be extremely angry at me. It didn't take me long to find the stream, its crystal waters flowed over the rocks and I guessed it sloshed down to the big river I had seen yesterday when we had been flying. I found the deepest part I could which was still no more than a foot deep and drank deeply from its waters until my thirst was quenched and it numbed some of the hunger pangs in my stomach. Then I dunked my entire head in it in an effort to get my hair clean. I ran my finger through it trying to gat all of the knots out them I resurfaced with a loud gasp. I froze as I saw a pair of boots in front just in front of me. I anxiously looked up to see Murtagh glowering down at me. I held his glare until I could no longer stand it then I ran back to the campsite squeezing the water from my hair as I went. I may have been imagining it but I thought I heard a faint chuckling as I ran back but when Murtagh remerged from the trees a couple of seconds later he looked as solemn as ever. Suddenly he threw me something. I managed to catch it, just about. After unintentionally juggling it around for several seconds. It was an apple. My first thought was that it must be poisoned but than I reasoned with myself. He wouldn't do that he needed me alive. I hesitated before digging my teeth into it ravenously.

'Thank you' I muttered as he passed me with a swish of his long dark cloak. He pretended not to have heard me and I didn't really care. And I took another bite out of the side. I almost ate the core I was so hungry but then I thought the better of it and I chucked it into the bushes. 10 minutes later we were flying again and I quickly slipped back into my routine, lean forward and pretend that Murtagh wasn't there as I fiddled with the scales on Thorns neck. I figured we would only be flying for about one more day though. I didn't know whether I was grateful or not because as soon as this ended I would be bought before the king. From what I could remember of mps of Alagaesia I had seen. We had just flown down from Du Weldenvarden, home of the elves which was in the very north then across the very most north westerly point of the Hadarac desert then we had stayed near the banks of the Ramr river. Which meant if I was right we would be at Urû'baen the capital in less than a day. It's funny how when you desperately want time to pass as slowly as possible it just seems to go past even quicker. Before I knew it the sun was low on the horizon and the lights of Urû'baen sparkled in the distance. At the centre of the great city I could just make out the pinnacle of a dark castle with looming turrets that created an ominous silhouette in the sunset. I watched as the dry grassy landscape swept past underneath us as Thorn flew towards the heart of the city. The streets seemed to fall silent as we swept over them. It was obvious the sort of reputation Murtagh and Thorn held here. I saw a little child running for the safety of their rundown wooden house. The City was set up into districts. One obviously belonging to the poor, one to the middle class and all the posh houses were grouped around the base of the castle to make it look all the grander. I clung on tightly as Thorn did a jack-knife turn then flew into a large opening in the side of the tallest tower. The wind died and it took my eyes a while to adjust to the gloom of the large dragon keep. Thorn landed softly and we went through the same procedures as the last time he did. Murtagh, jumped down before Thorn lay on his belly for me and unsuccessfully slid from his back. This time though Murtagh helped me up before grabbing my hand and pulling me over to a small oak door set in the wall if the large grand room barely giving me time to take it all in. It was much like the inside of a cathedral spire except with caves in the walls that ranged in size. Just before he swept me through the dark doorway though I caught sight of a large pair of amber eyes watching me from one of the largest caves then I was pulled from their view.

'He grows impatient!' Murtagh said as he hurried me down flight after flight of winding stone staircases. Gradually the corridors became grander and grander until they were decorated with ornate pillars of black and white marble. It was beautiful but there was this dark and powerful aura about he place. There were barely any windows; instead candles in black metal brackets on the walls lighted the place. My shoes squeaked as Murtagh dragged me along then suddenly ha came to a sudden stop outside of a pair of huge black wooden doors. I nearly bumped into him but just about manage to stop myself. He let go of my hand and turned to me as I flexed my hand, relieved to be free of his awfully tight grip.

'You follow me, you do not speak unless spoken to, you kneel once at his feet and do everything that he says!'

I gulped and nodded trying to hide my fear. Murtagh turned and pushed open the heavy doors to reveal a vast throne room decorated with the same dark sinister architecture as the rest of the castle. Marble busts and statues lines the walls in between pillars of black stone not all of them depicting beautiful images. The floor was black and so highly polished by servants that it glimmered in the candlelight but then I saw him. He was sitting in the grandest throne I had ever seen carved out of the same black stone as the pillars. He face was beautiful, transfixing and horrific all at the same time and in the centre of it a pair of dark alluring eyes shone with their power fixed madness. I froze in his inescapable glare.

'Approach' He smiled 'don't be afraid' His voice was low and powerful and instantly obeyed surging forward and managing to break the stare. Once I was no more than a few meters in front of him I knelt on the floor and so did Murtagh beside me.

'You took longer than I expected Murtagh. Why? Was retrieving her all that difficult?'

'We encountered a few problems...' He muttered shyly. I could tell he found the kings presence just as intimidating as I did.

'What kind of problems?' Galbatorix growled impatiently.

'She was with friends' Murtagh explained 'one was a sorcerer, he could fly.'

'And you vanquished this threat?' He asked expectantly.

'Yes sir'

I gulped. Becker couldn't be dead could he? He was superman! Surely he had to be alright?! It was obvious that Murtagh didn't realise the extent of his powers.

'Good, good, you may leave now and I shall talk to you in more depth later' Galbatorix smiled but behind it I could see something more sinister. Obviously talk to you later wasn't a good thing for Murtagh. He rose up from his knees and bowed again before leaving the room, taking one last glance back at me over his shoulder. I tried to conceal the fact that my hands were shaking but I wasn't very good at it. The king rose from his throne and paced down the dark stone steps over to me.

'Stand!' He ordered and I gulped before rising shakily to my meet. I always though of him as being quite short but now I realised he was the complete opposite and he towered more than a whole head taller than me, and I was tall as far as normal people go. His body was slim and lean, perfect for fighting but I knew he specialized in infiltration of the mind and magic. He smiled and put one long finger to my shaking lips.

'Shhhhh...' He smiled then he slowly began to walk around me. 'Beautiful...' He said pinging the curl on the side of my temple that refused to never go away. 'Thin...' he added as he moved around me. 'And I bet you're intelligent as well' He said looking me in the eyes 'Just what I would have expected...'

'What?!' I stammered soon as I didn't have a clue as to what the hell he was on about. My skin felt tingly as to where he had touched me.

'You're my daughter'

**Evie told me when she wrote this it was a 'east enders ending' (if you know what that is in lovely, sunny america, grrr… I wish I was there instead of in rainy old england) and I had to agree with her. Of course her writing it like that cause me to also start doing it. Damn you evie! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning--- slight attack of the killer angst!**

Without evie to 'slow us down' we now ran through the forest, abbie and conner running the quickest and the doctor slowest, though not by much. A few minutes later I heard evie's distinct scream followed by the whistle of air over a heavy object, or rather two. Seconds later there was a dull thump and evies screech was cut short. We were still about eight miles from the border and ran quicker, dreading what we would find. I wasn't sure whether evie's crys having stopped was a good or bad thing but I was almost certain it was bad.

A shadow crossed the sky as something- or someone- fell fast towards the ground. There were loud _cracks_ all around us as trees snapped whilst something caught them. A _boom_ loud enough to shake the earth around us shattered the peaceful surroundings even worse, and birds cried out as they were frightened from their nests and perches in the trees. We rushed to the edge of the crater in the mud, watching as a man, we presumed it was becker, sat up and groaning before getting up.

"sorry about the forest," he told us before blurring as we watched him scramble up the bank faster than any of us could have. He dusted down his clothes before seeming to remember something. "evie," he gasped, looking up to the patch of sky he had cleared away when he had landed. He crouched slightly and I could tell his intentions.

"becker no," I told him, grabbing his arm and looking pointedly around me. Scoble knew what I was talking about and spoke up for the first time. It was more than obvious my appearance still startled them.

"becker, we already know where they are taking her and if you shoot of after them it will make them fly faster. We should go to ellesmira, were staring as it is and couldn't attack anyone even if we wanted to. No weapons, remember?" becker sighed and his shoulders visibly slumped as he admitted defeat.

We only had to walk for a couple of hundred meters before we were met by five elves with silver hair carrying weapons, though it felt like hours more from the fact we were walking in silence.

"state your names and intentions." one told us gruffly but his voice still rang out and sounded as if he were about to burst into song.

"Lafniar of ellesmira and we have come seeking food and shelter for the night and also weapons." I told them, taking charge and stepping to the front of the group. One men's eyes lit up when he saw me and I instantly knew who it was.

"Gratin?" I called before walking towards him. He smiled and I ran upto him and hugged him roughly. "goddess!" I said, trying not to burst into tears. When I stepped away everyone looked slightly awkward, but I didn't care. My dad was here, and he was pleased to see me.

"you may pass," another soldier told me before four of them faded into the trees, leaving my dad standing with the sombre group.

"you may stay in my house tonight, if you'd like." he told me. I nodded though didn't smile, remembering we still had a job to do and that I couldn't stay. I sighed and looked back to my newly found friends.

"this is my dad, Gratin,"

That night we all slept in my old tree house. It was bigger than the last time I was here, though only by a few rooms. Everyone ate quickly, destroying vegetable after sweet, sweet vegetable. That is except abbie, conner and becker, who simply sat and watched us eat. [of course becker gets his energy from the sun so doesn't need to eat] that night me and dad talked about what had happened in the last few years while some people slept and abbie and conner went hunting. Elves didn't sleep like normal people, they 'power slept', which is where you do things whilst resting, kind of like sleep walking only you can control and remember what you have done.

The next morning we were kitted out with weapons. I chose a trusty staff, whist everyone else took swords and the like. It was only then that problems started to arise. Becker could only carry one or two of us at a time, which meant it would be weeks before we would all be able to bust evie out. Dad had a way to fix this small snag.

"m-e-g-a-n!!!" he shouted into the sky as loudly as he could, before coming back inside. Me and scoble looked at each other, remembering the friends we had left behind and that were probably worried sick. We waited for a few minutes, and just as we began to give up hope that anyone was coming at all two dark shadows appeared on the horizon. As much as I squinted into the distance I couldn't make out what the shadows were.

The sun glinted off two dark siluettes. When they got closer I finally reamized that they were people, but still couldn't make out whether they were human or elf. A few hundred meters away and I could tell now that they were both human, both with pitch black hair, though ones was cut short the others was long with messy ringlets. As they floated to the ground they turned the other direction. I thought I knew them from somewhere but I just didn't know where.

"didn't think you'd get rid of us that easily, did you?" asked one with the one that had ringlets, She turned around. Isn't that-

"Caitlain!" scoble screamed and threw herself into caitlains arms and shattering my inner dialogue like glass. Megan laughed from where she had walked up beside her. Once scoble had finally let her go Caitlain looked around the group of people, megan giggled "told you so," she said smuggly at Caitlain. Caitlain glared.

"scoble, check. The doctor, check. Captain becker?, check. Abbie and conner?, check again. Two elves, check." said megan said, miming checking us all off an invisible list in front of her.

"where the hell is lana and evie!?!"

**I told you about the endings. Its annoying me like hell, cause I cant seem to stop myself from doing it**


	11. Chapter 11

………………blank………………

"Holy!" finally my mind kicked in and I managed to say or even think something. Then I suddenly realised who I was speaking to and I froze. His brow furrowed and he scowled at my crudeness.

"Obviously though you need to be taught how to act like a lady" He growled. I cowered away, he was so intimidating. That I certainly didn't like but I had the brains to keep my mouth shut. I was desperately wheeling through what he had just said trying to make sense of it. He was my father? He couldn't be! I didn't want this. Then suddenly it seemed to dawn on me properly.

"It's perfectly explanatory for you to be shocked." He said calmly.

"No!" I cried "No!" I rapidly backed away from him and I felt tears beginning to well in my eyes. I didn't want to cry, not in front of him he would just think I was a self pitying moaning little girl and I desperately tried to keep them back. I was just about to turn and run but before I knew it he had my arm, he moved so quickly… He gripped my wrist tightly as I strained against his iron grasp.

"NO!" I screamed he passed a hand over my eyes and all of a sudden I felt woozy, very woozy. I swayed and collapsed, barely able to keep my eyes open. Words and time seemed to pass through my head in a blur and before I knew it I was being picked up in the arms of someone and I was just about able to recognize the concerned and confused face of Murtagh above me.

"Take her to the royal chambers" I heard the powerful voice from somewhere above me but I could no longer remember who it belonged to because I was drifting into a deep, deep sleep.

When I woke, at first I though I was in my bed at home, the sheets that encased me were as soft if not softer than those on my normal bed. I felt smooth silk rubbing against my lower calves which were not covered by my three quarter length jeans. Filtered sunlight streamed onto my face and I managed to open my eyes. I propped myself upright on my arms feeling slightly light headed and took in my surroundings. I lay in a huge four poster bed with white net curtains drawn shut around me. The duvet was white with navy silk embroidered, the most detailed precision I had ever seen. The patterns depicted flowers and butterflies and the same luxury embroidery decorated the pillows which were abundant against the mahogany headboard. Through the thin curtains I could see moving silhouettes as they hurried about the room. They were obviously unaware of the fact that I was awake. They spoke in hushed voices as if they were trying to prevent waking me up.

"Is she really his daughter? That's what they're saying down in the kitchens." A young girl's voice asked.

"That's what he said to me" An older more mature ladies voice replied. "I've been appointed to care for her needs. I feel sorry for the poor girl really"

"Does that mean she's the princess then?" I flinched at that word. It made me sound like a damsel in distress. I certainly wasn't anything like that in my mind.

"One day, Matilda that curiosity will be your comeuppance!"

"You didn't answer my question!"

"Yes I suppose it does. Now go before she wakes up I don't want you and your relentless questions to be here when she does! She going to be upset enough as it is with out you pestering her!"

"But I want to see her!"

"Shhh!" The old lady hushed

"Is she beautiful?!"

"Yes I'm sure she is! Now go!"

"Can I peek through the curtains?! Just a quick glance! I'll be really quiet!" The young girl pleaded. Just then a loose feather from one of the stuffed pillows drifted up to my nose and I desperately tried to prevent myself from sneezing but my sudden intake of breath was loud enough. Both of them froze.

"Go!" The lady ordered in a strict tone which obviously meant no answering back and I saw her usher the small girl Matilda out of the room through a discrete small side door, obviously for servant access. The lady didn't say anything more and I heard her walk to the other side of the room where I could hear metal gently banging against china and I presumed she was making something like herbal tea. (I guessed they wouldn't have normal tea here) It was evident that she wasn't going to divulge any more interesting information so I pulled the heavy duvet off of me and gently pushed the curtain aside. My shoes and socks had been removed so when I swung my legs over the side of the bed my toes were met with a cold flagstone floor. I looked across the room which was lavishly furnished with mahogany. There was a centre table with fresh wild flowers in a vase on the top, a dressing table, large and luxurious wardrobe and a chest of drawers and a changing screen. A middle aged lady (I would've guessed she was in her late forties) was attending to a small cup of sweet smelling tea on the table. She had a stern face and brown hair that was streaked with grey scraped into a tight bun. As soon as she saw me looking at her she averted her gaze and curtsied.

"My lady" She smiled politely. I officially didn't like that one bit but to be polite I kept quiet and just smiled back. She picked up the cup on the table and came over and placed it in my hands and I looked at it quizzically.

"Drink it" She smiled "It will make you feel better" She was right. I lifted the cup to my lips and drank deeply, the sweet drink warming my system. It tasted like strawberry tea.

"Better?!" She asked. I nodded and smiled, passing her back the empty cup as I wiped my lips on the back of my hand.

"You look like you need a good going over" She noted as she looked me up and down. "Come and sit over here" She said and she gestured to the small stool in front of the dressing table. I got up and walked over before plonking myself down in it.

"I see your grace is something we need to work on." I frowned personally I didn't know how you work on something when you didn't have and of it in the first place. People always said I moved about the place like a baby elephant. I always used to take it as a compliment seen as I thought that baby elephants were rather cute. I slouched at the dressing table.

"And posture!" She added, swiftly straightening my back with a yank of my shoulder. I tried to look anywhere but the mirror in front of me. I didn't want to see the person that I was turning into. I wanted to keep the old picture of me in my minds eye and not to have it obscured by some fake image of what was on the outside, the person that was actually me. I felt her yank a brush through my thick knotted blonde hair and after plenty of teeth gritting it went through smoothly without meeting anymore knots. She placed the brush on the table then put a bowl of water in front of me and instructed me to wash my face which I did so reluctantly.

"Right..." She breathed after I had done that. She applied a bit of make up to my lips and eyes. I didn't even know they had make-up here. I guess you learn something new everyday right? Then she pulled out a necklace from a leather case in one of the drawers of the dressing table. It was so sparkly it practically blinded me and she fastened it around my neck.

"Take off your trousers and shirt! Those are certainly not suitable!" She said and she went over to one of the large wardrobes. I took the opportunity to do a snobby impression of her behind her back. I got up then turned and aggravatedly did what she said. I agreed with the fact that I needed some new clothes I was just worried about what she would come up with for me to wear. I turned around and stared at the extraordinary detail on the duvet again as I wiggled out of my jeans and pulled my top off over my head. I stood there feeling all exposed in my underwear when suddenly the lady came back and all of a sudden wrapped something around my torso. I looked down, horrified to find that it was a corset. I was about to yell no but before I could I felt a restraining crush around my ribcage as she tightened it up. It was so violent I had to grab the post of the bed for support. I tried to complain again but I found that I could hardly breath, instead I tried to claw at her hands but she slapped them away then I had to grab the post for support again as she yanked it tighter. Finally after a painstakingly long time; or what seemed to be a long time. She stopped and went to fetch something else. I gasped and placed my hand on my stomach which was compressed so it looked unnaturally thin. I groped at the knot on the back but found that she had done it deliberately tight so I couldn't undo it, as if she had anticipated my intentions.

"Put this on" She ordered and passed me the long shimmering folds of a blue dress.

"No!" I exclaimed in horror.

"If you don't" She replied sternly "You will be walking around like that!" I then realised in shock that she had already taken away my old clothes. I sighed before stepping into it and pulling it up, inserting my arms through the short sleeves. The woman did up the back then turned around to face me and sorted out the long skirt which trailed down so far it completely hid my feet.

"There much better" She said passing me a small pair of black shoes.

"Hardly!" I growled quietly to myself. "What your name?" I asked her as she went to busy about the room once more.

"Gertrude" She replied as if I didn't need to know such information but was just answering to be polite. Note to self; I officially hate Gertrude. She went out of the side door than within a couple of minutes she was back with a silver tray stacked high with breakfast things. I watched as she set it down on the table. There was a huge bole of fresh fruit (nothing that exotic of course) strawberries, apples, raspberries and pears. Then there were pastries and toast and bacon with eggs. (I hate cooked breakfasts)

"How do you expect me to eat with this torture device crushing my chest?!" I growled gesturing to my torso.

"Its something you're going to have to get used to dear!" She replied. I walked over and plucked a couple of strawberries from the bowl and popped them into my mouth.

"I'm vegetarian" I noted looking disapprovingly at the meat on the plate.

"You're a what?" She asked.

"I don't eat meat" I explained. She looked at me as if she really hadn't heard the concept of not eating meat before, then thinking about it I guess she hadn't.

"Well that's one of the most stupid things I have ever heard! How did you used to survive with out eating meat?!"

"Easily!" I breathed.

"Well believe me girl some of the aspects of your life are about to take a dramatic change!" She growled then she went to busy herself about the room as I polished off as much fruit as I could manage with the corset crushing my innards. I glared at her every time she turned her back to me and eventually after she had made my bed she turned to me and said the thing which I really didn't want to hear.

"Your father wants to see you" She affirmed "You will meet him in the throne hall in ten minutes."

"I don't know how you get there from here"

"The king has ordered Murtagh to escort you there"

"WHAT?!" I screeched.

"It is not what it is pardon!" She corrected me firmly. "And you do not screech! You will act like a prestigious young lady! You will act angelically, walk with your back straight and your head held high, you will be polite and you will only speak when spoken to. Have you got that?!" I just nodded already casting her words from my mind. I would act just how I wanted to, and in this situation that would certainly be far from angelic.

"Good!" She smiled "He is waiting outside" and she headed towards the main door at the head of the room by this I presumed she meant Murtagh.

"He hates me!" I exclaimed.

"I think far from it" She smiled at me. I personally didn't know what she meant by that but I couldn't think it over because she was already opening the door. She held it open and she gestured or me to walk out into the corridor. I held up my skirt to stop myself tripping over it which I knew I would anyway, stepped into my shoes and swished past her with a sniff. Once outside I turned around and glared at her as she shut the door despite it she was smiling at me.

Bitch! I cursed her inside my head and I jumped as I turned around to see Murtagh leaning against the stone wall of the corridor and staring at me intently.

"What?!" I exclaimed wrapping my hands around my waist, feeling slightly self conscious.

"Nothing" He said but I saw the faint smile which lightly touched his lips. I ignored him and turned and set off along the long corridor. Everything was made out of stone apart from the occasional unlit torch in a metal bracket on the wall.

"That's the wrong way" He said. I came to a halt and folded my arms, tuning to face him. He still hadn't moved from his original position. I walked past him down in the opposite direction and I heard him walk after me. Gradually he over took me and he lead the way down several more stone corridors. Left, left, right, left, right, right, left, right. The place was huge and I quickly lost track of the way we had come. Finally we arrived back at the familiar pair of huge black doors which bought back bad memories from the night before. I gulped as the doors swung open, seemingly of their own accord and I was staring into the same large intimidating cathedral like room but now I actually realised there was a reason for its size; hunched in the centre of the room, obscuring my vision so I couldn't see the throne was the most humongous dragon I had ever seen. His scales shone like highly polished onyx and he turned around to meet my gaze with deep amber eyes.

"So there is a reason for this place being so big!" I squeaked taking an alarmed step backwards and bumping into Murtagh. "Sorry!" I gasped and backed away from him hurriedly but he didn't look angry, more embarrassed.

"Approach child, my dragon will not hurt you." Galabatorix's deep powerful voice echoed from the other end. I wasn't scared of Shruikan, more awed and slightly intimidated. He moved to the side and out of the way to let me pass, each step he took caused the floor to shake and a loud boom reverberated throughout the hall. Finally he settled in the far corner but he still nearly took up quarter of the room. It was a miracle that the door had been big enough to let him get through. I took a shaky step forward then another and another until I was knelt at the feet of the king once more. His presence still had the same affect on me. It made me want to cower and grovel. I didn't dare look him in the eyes. He sat in his straight backed throne which gave him the impression of all importance. He had neatly cropped brown hair but almost jet black eyes; the colour of his soul. I thought to myself. I couldn't seriously be the daughter of such a monster?! He apparently thought so. Maybe he was delusional, maybe I'm delusional. Maybe I'm still sitting in science having the most wild and erratic day dream of my entire life. But then why would everything seem and feel so real? Why could I feel the slight draught that blew gently on the back of my neck and my knees pressing against the cold stone floor through the fabric of my elaborate dress, or the crown being placed upon my head? HANG ON A SECOND! Reality seemed to rush back to me in a matter of short seconds and I could feel a circlet of light metal resting on the top of my head.

"Stand" Galbatorix smiled. I gulped and rose to my feet before gently reaching up and removing the crown from my head then tuning it over and over in my hands. I looked liked silver but I thought that was certainly bellow the king so I guessed it was probably white gold. The metal formed the most beautiful tiara I had ever seen. A series of delicate entwined flowers and leaves constructed it with tiny gems incrusted into the flowers and in between the vines. Mostly sapphires, blue topaz and of course diamonds. There were also small spikes similar to that of the teeth of a comb to keep it in place in my hair.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He said "I had my best metal crafters and jewel cutters craft that for you. But of course it would only be the best for royalty"

Of course! I felt my fingers tighten on the delicate looking but surprisingly strong metal as if I wanted to crush it with my own bare hands. I wanted to take the stupid thing and thrust it in his stuck up face and make him feel the pain that he was causing me emotionally and all the people living under his evil reign. I looked up to see him gazing at me expectantly.

"Aren't you going to wear it?!" He asked

"Of course!" I said smiling pleasantly, hiding the burning hatred that burned for him deep inside of me and I daintily placed the crown back on top of my head.

"You may go now!" He said, dismissing me. "I have nothing else to say to you" I decided to curtsy, I didn't even know how I just did then I turned and left his presence trying to ignore his eyes which I could feel burning into my back. As soon as I was outside of the door they shut with the same eerie effect. I screamed then grabbed the tiara from my head and flung it at the wall with all my strength. The metal gave a loud clang then before I knew it; the crown came flying back at me and hit me solidly in the side of the temple. I suddenly lost all my sense of balance and my vision went blurry as I fell to the hard floor.

"Evie?!" I heard Murtagh exclaim then all of a sudden he was there leaning over me. How utterly humiliating! I can't even throw a temper tantrum with out getting it seriously wrong! He put his hands around my waist and pulled me upright. I was just about able to stand without his help. Only just. I swayed and pulled away from him using the wall for support.

"Oww my head…" I moaned and placed my hand on my temple then glared at my tiara where it had fallen on the floor. Murtagh knelt down and picked it up then passed it back to me. He was almost smiling.

"Murtagh!" Galabatorix's deafening voice boomed from the throne room with such ferocity that I shrank back against the wall while Murtagh looked as if the king's voice had stung him and his face turned ashen. He glared at me before spinning on the spot and pacing slowly back towards the doors. I felt alarmed at his sudden mood swing. Then again what was I to expect from someone who loathed my guts. I suddenly noticed the way he held his arm as he walked back through the doors and then and there I realised exactly how the king treated him, as a slave. I stood there in a stunned silence for nearly a minute until I heard him cry out loud in pain and Thorns thundering roars echoing from the dragon keep so far above. I bet Galbatorix even kept him in chains. I felt tears stinging my eyes and I turned and ran covering my ears. I ran for I don't know how long, the castle was huge; through corridors, up staircases, across courtyards then down more stairs. It seemed to take me forever to escape their tortured cries. When I finally did I was at a small and deserted section in the very heart of the castle and completely and utterly lost. I slouched down at the bottom of a large aging tapestry and let the tears that had been building up in my eyes run freely down my face. This was hell and I wanted to go home. I wanted to see Lana and Scoble again even though it was a full moon tonight so she would have long shaggy hair and a pink wet tongue. It had all been fun at first but it wasn't anymore. It was a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up, like I had lost my way back to my body. Maybe I was in a coma and everything around me was the state of deterioration of my mind as it slowly faded to nothing. I just wanted things to be back the way they had been before. Why couldn't I have just been grateful the way my life was? No I always had to go seeking adventure. Actually thinking about it, it wasn't exactly my fault. I had been dragged here. Not come here of my own accord. Murtagh had brought me here. Yes this was all completely and utterly Murtagh's fault and I am going to KILL HIM!

And that's when my destiny came as a piercing shriek from the other side of the mysterious tapestry. My head snapped round and I stayed motionless and listened acutely. It came again. The source of the noise was defiantly on the other side of the tapestry. I frowned and pressed my ear to the rough, dusty material. The noise shrieked again. I quickly forgot about my troubles and warily lifted up the corner of the large piece of heavy material. Sure enough, behind it, set into the wall was an old gnarled wooden door. I discreetly shot a glance back over my shoulder to make sure I was free from prying eyes then I slipped into the doorframe. I placed my hand on the wrought iron handle as the noise sounded again then gently pushed and with a faint click the door swung open. The room was obviously accessed often as the hinges of the door were well oiled and barely squeaked as it moved. This was evidently one of the king's private sanctums and I dreaded to think how much trouble I would get into if he caught me in here but hopefully he was still giving Murtagh hell. I quietly shut it behind me and turned around to take in the room. It was massive, a long stone corridor lit by flaming torches in brackets stretched down to a large circular room with a raised stone dais in the centre of which was a dragon egg. I approached slowly as if in a trance. A single shaft of pale sunlight shone down onto its resting pace, it looked similar to a church font except instead of containing holy water it contained a white silk cushion that comforted the egg. The walls were bare and the ceiling was bare apart from one tiny skylight that provided the natural lighting. My gaze though didn't stray once from the egg which under the light of the late morning sunshine flared the most beautiful vibrant green I had ever seen. I stared mesmerized by the sheer beauty of it as I slowly paced up the steps on the side of the stone dais. I winced as a particularly loud squeak reverberated around the chamber but it didn't put me off. I don't know if I was particularly aware of the consequences of what was happening to me but all I knew was I didn't care. I reached out with trembling fingers and gently touched the top of the egg trepidation running through my whole body. I felt the smooth rock hard texture of the shell underneath my fingertips and I ran my fingers through the white vanes that webbed their way across its surface. All of a sudden it lurched underneath my hand and cracks appeared. The squeaking was now copious and the cracks spread. I stepped back in alarm as suddenly shards of the green diamond hard egg shell were sent flying in almost every direction. I peeked back from underneath my eyelashes to see a tiny green dragon hatchling roll onto its feet on the cushion in front of me. The last dragon in Alagaesia had hatched for me.

**See, now shes doing it again! Though it wasn't quite as bad this time the ending was still sudden. I hope you liked it and I will remind you to press that green button, cause I dare you. Go on!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

After Megan's exclamation I simply chuckled and waited for scoble to tell them. Scoble hesitated then turned and glared at me.

"guys, this is-" scoble started to say so as to get her off the hook, but I interrupted her before she had the chance.

"Lafniar, and this is my father gratin." I told them, gesturing to the man stood at my side.

"nice to meet you," Caitlain said with a smile and I giggled. "what has that got to do with Lana and Evie?" she asked, turning back to scoble.

"THAT'S LANA!" she half screamed so that I couldn't interrupt her this time. Megan and Caitlain looked me up and down at the same time, it was kinda creepy.

"curse?" Caitlain asked me, looking pointedly at megan.

"hey, it wasn't me!" Megan complained to her.

"curse?!?" I asked asked worriedly, looking back and forth between the two of them. They both raised there eyebrows at me nat the same time, again.

"you tell them," megan said, turning to Caitlain.

"no, you!"

"I'm not telling them, you do it!"I gasped and stumbled back a couple of steps, realizing in an instant what they were talking about.

"we don't have time for this, guys." I told them, taking charge like I never had before. "will ya get a move on? We have a human to save!" I said, hoping to stop them arguing.

"what! where?" Caitlain asked, running to my side, dragging Megan with her having grabbed her hand.

"Evie was kidnapped, by Murtagh and thorn. They've probably been taken to Galbatorix's castle, but we cant get there. You have to help us." I had tried to keep from shrieking or my voice shaking as a result of unshed tears and I managed it well, until the end when my voice started climbing an octave higher than normal. No-one seemed to notice though, it turned out that all that pretending in school had paid off after all. I was quickly snapped out of my inner thoughts as I heard a crackle of electric. I looked around slightly dazzed to see Caitlain and megan facing each other with about three meters separating them. The electricity was coming from their hands and as a I watched a carpet snapped into existence between the girls. They both moved forward to stand on it and waved everyone else on. I shook my head exasperated, realizing what they were going to do.

"couldn't it be something more stable? Like armchairs? Or a sofa?" I asked as I went up to the girls. Becker stayed where he was, obviously intending to fly the entire way there. The girls held onto one of each others hand as they stood side by side and I felt the carpet move. I felt the air stir as the carpet lifted into the air. Becker floated to, staying behind us.

***

That night I 'slept' standing up, explaining to Caitlain and megan what it was like to be an elf and in turn they told me how they were sister witches, though from there it was a bit muddled as they kept telling me slightly different things then arguing about what was right. Abbie, conner, gratin and becker listened to, though soon I lost myself whilst watching trees wiz past quicker than would be possible even whilst ridding on a dragon.

The night melted into day and still I watched as the trees slowly thinned then were goon altogether. I watched even as we skimmed and when I couldn't even see the ground as the moon was covered by clouds of fowl smelling red smoke. We arrived outside the city gates four days after leaving ellesmira, only having been so slow because we had to stop three times to get water and for Caitlain and megan to rest, as if they fell asleep while we were in the air we would have crashed. It was night when we stopped a few miles from the city, and we had to sleep on for the night as if we had gone to rescue evie at the state we were in we would have failed and been captured for sure. I could only guess what was happening to evie now, and what was going through my head was not nice. I was almost begging to sleep, as if I did it would at least be an escape from the images that haunted my every waking thought.

**Did anyone else get the whole 'magic carpet' joke I put in there? I cant remember which old kids story its from, and it would be kinda creapy if I did, but I remember that there was a magic carpet.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I stood there gawping, unable to comprehend quite what was happening to me. The tiny green dragon scampered forward across the cushion towards me. It stopped on the edge of the font thing and cocked its head at me. It was about the same length as my forearm but it acted proud and prestigious as I stared at me with intense dark eyes. It scales were the same bright deep green as the egg shell and they shimmered like gemstones in the faint light. I edgily crept forward, growing in curiosity. I had the sensation that a flock of butterflies had ruptured in my stomach. I reached forward with my right hand and let it hover above the tiny dragons small, slightly triangular shaped head and it eagerly stretched up to nuzzle me but as soon as its small oddly soft muzzle came into contact with my palm a searing icy pain surged like a shock wave through my entire body. It pulsed through my circulatory system no part of me was free of it. I collapsed to the ground with a pained scream that echoed around the vast chamber as my whole body was gripped in a fiery raging inferno. I squirmed and contorted on the hard stone as the unbearable pain dominated my mind and thoughts. Another piercing cry escaped my lips and my breath raced up and down my throat as great surging gasps. I curled into a foetal position as I tried to prevent the pain but here was no escaping it. I tried to move again but found that I was paralyzed the pain was so intense. Each second passing by seemed like hours and what short time I spent curled up on the cold floor seemed like days. All of a sudden the lain gradually receded, retreating back into my hand. Warmth found its way back into my paralyzed limbs and I was able to flex them even though the spasms had left them strained and tight. I winced as I stretched my stiff muscles and rolled awkwardly to my feet. I clenched my teeth as I inspected my hand which remained immovable. My fingers were numb but my palm burned and itched. I clawed at it with my nails on my opposite hand as I desperately tried to make the pain go away. I then paused as the surface of the skin on my palm shimmered to form an ovular silver mark swirled with gleaming marks that sparkled like diamonds. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the gedway indanisia on my palm. I recoiled as the dragon reached up to nuzzle again and its skin briefly brushed against mine but the same pain did not jar my entire body, just a faint tingling sensation ran up my arm. More confidently I reached forward and stroked the side of its head and it nuzzled back affectionately. Suddenly I felt something alien brush against the edge of my consciousness. It was like the walls concealing my mind had fallen away and I was able to reach out beyond it. The sudden proximity alarmed me and I hastily retreated back pulling away from the strange sense. The thing came back again then I realised it was the dragon. It was trying to contact me. I warily let it in and I was flooded by images of guards as they hurried along one of the castle corridors, their metal boots and armour clanging against the stone.**

"**GET DOWN THERE! IF YOU CAN'T BRING THEM TO ME THEN DON'T LEAVE THEM ALIVE!" A yell of tremendous rage reverberated around the stone of the castle. Then I realised that I hadn't just heard it in my thoughts but also in my own ears. The guards were coming here, and so was Galbatorix. If he had found out that the last dragon egg had hatched for me… My mind was suddenly filled with the emergency of the situation and I reached down and took my dragon in my arms and crushed it to my chest before pelting as fast as my legs would carry me from the room. The stupid dress slowed me down, it long blue silk skirt billowing up behind me. I got to the door and wrenched it open before barging out from behind the tapestry. I paused for a couple of seconds once I was in the corridor to listen. The metallic clanging of the ever approaching guards was growing louder and louder from the way I had come. I turned on my heel and fled in the other direction. I ran several hundred meters then took a left turn, up some steps then followed that corridor for a couple more meters before I heard clanging and speaking again.**

"**Remember what he said. We cut this person off and capture them. If we don't we die!" The harsh voice was only just round the corner and I stopped dead in my tracks. I was trapped. No wait there had been another turning back there. I ran back again, my blood roaring in my ears as adrenaline was pumped through my body. I growled as I tripped on the long folds of my skirt for the fourth time and I reached down and picked it up with one hand, holding the dragon to my chest with the other. It gave a high pitch squeak as the guards rounded the corner just after I had turned mine. Luckily they hadn't seen. I ran faster my path that I had already ran except in the other direction flashing past me. I skidded to a halt as I met the turning and I accelerated down it, clutching the dragon tighter than ever to my chest. As I ran I passed no doors no other chances of escaping. I fled, further and further and still passed no more turnings. I went up another set of steps then along another corridor then all of a sudden I was in a courtyard. Sunlight streamed onto the cobbles, illuminating the stone sculptures and benches surrounded by rose bushes. It was the most sinister courtyard I had ever seen. The faces of the people on the statues were contorted in pain and the flowers on the bushed bloomed black but I didn't have time to take it all in I had to keep going. I was about to start running again when I heard more guards up ahead. Now I really was trapped. I cried out loud in hopelessness. The pounding of hundreds of pairs of boots growing louder and louder and the noise reverberated off the twisted statues in the courtyard. I shot a glance upwards at the walls that towered upwards around me. The first story was nothing but sheer stone no handholds or grips. Then a couple of meters above that there were windows but they didn't supply sufficient grip either. Not for me anyway. I would never be able to scale it. The guards were almost upon me. Last minute thinking I shoved the dragon up my skirt and told it with images to hold onto my lag for dear life. Finally a use for dresses! I hurt as some of its claws dug into my skin and I gritted my teeth and ignored the stabbing pain. I had to look innocent. Uhhhhh… there I was totally stumped. I had never exactly looked innocent. I slammed myself down onto the edge of a stone bench and as a last minute thought plucked a nearby black rose from one of the bushes. The first guard of many ran into the courtyard and stopped in his tracks as he saw me sitting there. He paused obviously unsure of what to do. I tried to look shocked at their sudden appearance but I had always been a bad actor and it was difficult. Before I knew it there was a company of well over fifty staring at me, dumbstruck. **

"**Get moving you scumbags!" A voice bellowed threateningly from behind them in the shadows of the corridor. Then the crowd parted and a man who was obviously the general came marching through. He had barely any teeth and a hard set jaw and glared at me with small black eyes. He walked towards me then stopped when he was no more than a meter away. I consciously pressed my right hand deep into the folds of my skirt to prevent him seeing the mark on my palm not that I thought that he would be hat observant anyway. **

"**And what are you doing down here princess?" He asked with a sneer. **

"**Uhhhh…" I stuttered "I got lost, I don't know…" STUPID! I cursed myself as soon as the words were out of my lips. That was the most obvious excuse ever.**

"**Don't you lie to me!" He growled then before I knew it his hand was round my neck and he lifted me to my feet as he gradually crushed my airway. "Do you think I'm stupid! You can just batter your eyelashes at me and I'll let you go! Well let me tell you, you are very much mistaken!" I gasped as I desperately tried to breathe and I could feel my dragon clinging desperately to my leg, underneath my dress.**

"**Let go of her now!" A fuming voice ordered. I recognised it instantly. The man dropped me instantly and I turned to see Murtagh scowling with fury at him. His dark brown eyes flared with such anger it scared me even though I was not the one it was directed at. **

"**We found her here therefore she is a potential suspect!" He retorted defensively.**

"**You supposed to be searching for a potential Dragon rider or thief! Not defenceless girls!" He yelled at him, his hands balling into tight fists as if he could barely contain his anger. "Now be on your way!" The captain glared from Murtagh to me and then back again then led his troops down the corridor from which I had come. I tenderly rubbed my throat where the man had clasped it then I turned to face Murtagh. I remembered my promise to myself that I was going to kill him but now I thought the better of it as he glared at me with a burning anger in his eyes. **

"**What were you doing down here?!" He snarled. I decided to tell him partially the truth. It would be easier for me than making it all up. **

"**I heard what he was doing to you and… I just ran… I didn't exactly think and… and I got lost" He looked as if he was desperately trying to stop his lips from curling into a snarl and I had to drop my gaze his was so penetrating. He grabbed the top of my arm but as he did so a section of his long sleeve came back and underneath I saw dark bruises mottled his smooth tanned skin and lots of them. He saw me looking and pulled it down then yanked me forward then dragged me away down the corridor, away from the commotion. The sudden movement caused my dragon to dig their claws even deeper into my leg and I flinched at the sudden discomfort but fortunately Murtagh didn't notice and luckily he had grabbed my left hand so I was able to keep my right hand hidden in my dress. If he saw… I didn't exactly want to think about that. He dragged me up stairs and along more corridors until we were back in a more civilised part of the castle. Only then did he turn to me.**

"**Don't let me ever find you down there again!" He snarled menacingly. I was so intimidated I backed up against the wall. "If… if…" He couldn't seem to be able to get the words out. "Just keep yourself out of trouble!" He growled then he swept away down the corridor. I smiled as he turned the corner at the end of the corridor back down to the chamber. **

"**Prejudice is one of the greatest forms of ignorance" I whispered smugly to myself and partially my dragon. Then I turned and walked briskly back in the direction I thought led to my room. I didn't dare run as I though if I was caught it would look a lot more suspicious. Luckily I was right with my guess and suddenly I was in the corridor that led to my room. I jogged slowly down it then wrenched open the door. I slammed it shut once I was on the other side and the adrenaline rush I had made me breathless. **

"**And where have you been?!" Came a strict voice from behind me. I turned around to see Gertrude and the look on her face was thunderous. I suddenly noticed her mole on the side of her face seemed to grow with her rage. Nice… I thought to myself. Real nice… **

"**All morning you've been gone!" She yelled **

"**You can't just keep me locked up in my room!" I exclaimed.**

"**Oh yes I can just you watch me! Soon as you cant be trusted not to wonder off!" **

**I rolled my eyes and leaned against the wall, tring to look deliberately chavy. I wanted to piss her off and it worked. **

"**Don't you dare think you can give me that attitude either!" She yelled. I could see she was trying to make herself look deliberately intimidating but it wasn't exactly working. **

"**Starting this afternoon I am going to teach you how to be a lady! And believe me I am going to squeeze every last bit of that attitude out of you!"**

**I would like to see her try… My dragon was thinking along the same thing soon as I kept on getting random stray images of me resisting everything she tried to teach me. **

"**We'll start with lunch shall we?!" She continued and she gestured to a maid who came out of nowhere with a tray stacked high with food just like breakfast time. She went over and placed it on the table then disappeared again. Suddenly my head was filled with this ravenous hunger as the scent of the roast meat wafted towards me. I was sure it wasn't me so I figured my dragon was awfully hungry. Suddenly I felt them flexing against my leg then I figured they were reaching out to sniff the air. I hastily moved my right hand to cover up its nose as it pressed it against the material of the dress. It would've probably looked like I had a boner if Gertrude had seen; thinking that I found it difficult to keep a straight face. **

"**Sit!" She ordered. I really didn't have time for this. I had to go now. I did bend down as if I was intending to sit but instead I grabbed the silver tray, letting what was on it fall to the table and smashed her round the head. There was a startled look on her face as if she couldn't understand why I would ever attack her before she fell to the floor unconscious. I followed the blow with a well aimed smack in the temple with the glass vase that held the flowers. Water and white roses and bluebells went everywhere but the blow should've prevented her from remembering anything but it wouldn't take long for Galbatorix to piece together what had happened. It would have been best to leave under cover of darkness but I didn't have time. I grabbed a few slices of the roast meat off the table and dropped them on the floor. My dragon eagerly let go of my leg and scampered to retrieve it then waffled all of it down then looked up at me expectantly for more. I sighed then dropped another few slices which they snapped up before they even hit the floor. I ran to my wardrobe and flung it open. Unfortunately Gertrude hadn't herd the word practical as all that was in there were long flowing dresses and corsets. The best I could find was a long blue travelling cloak that when I put it on swished around my ankles and it was clasped at the neck with an elaborate broach in the shape of a leaf. I tore the stupid crown off of my head and threw it out of the open window. I reached down to pick up the dragon and now I had contentedly full mind waves pulsing into my head and I told the dragon to grasp hold of my leg again. It was considerably heavier this time. I grabbed a hunk of cheese and bread off the table and shoved it pigishly into my mouth. Then I was out of the door again and running. Every time I passed a guard I would slow to a walk and pass by unsuspiciously. None of them suspected me in the slightest even though they were all on red alert. Sexist bastards. Sometimes I have to admit it though it can be pretty god dammit useful. I headed down wards following the main flow of the corridors until I met a large pair, no humongous pair of double doors. Barring my way and the other side of them I figured was outside. Freedom. Several guards were posted by them and as I approached one walked over to me. He had a kinder face then the previous one I had the misfortune to encounter. Calm… I thought desperately to my self.**

"**I'm sorry your highness" He said clearing his throat "The castle is under a curfew. No one is aloud in or out" He said it to me as if I was the blondest person in history that my pretty little head would simply not be able to understand. I felt like snapping at him but I refrained myself from doing that. Say something girly and innocent… **

"**Uhhhhh… I was wondering if I could go out to the stables and see the horses. I'm rather bored you see" I decided to flutter my eyelashes at him and it seemed to work, he was trying to hide the fact that he was turning bright pink. Men are so easy… **

"**Well I suppose… Soon as you asked nicely and your obviously innocent. But I didn't let you out after the curfew ok! And be warned the weather out there isn't very nice!" He said and he winked at me**

"**Thank you!" I smiled pleasantly and gave him a sweet smile as he went to open the door for me. As soon as it was open I squeezed through the gap but he wasn't done.**

"**Gordon, escort this young lady to the stables" An all too eager looking young guy sauntered up. He looked quite ridiculous soon as his armour didn't fit him properly and his helmet slid around on his head. There were also rain drops dripping off the point of his nose and he looked drenched through to the skin but he didn't really seem to mind. **

"**This way ma'am!" He smiled and he led the way through a humongous courtyard. I smiled as I felt a breeze of fresh air on my face shortly followed by a shower of heavy rain drops as I walked out from underneath the shelter of the castle. I pulled up the large silky hood on top of my hair as if I didn't want to get my perfect hair wet but of course me being me I would rather leave it down then laugh at myself when my hair went so frizzy I looked like a yellow old English sheep dog. I looked at him as he pranced across the wet cobbles and felt pity well inside of me. The king would kill him once he found out. This young innocent man, more of a boy really. He would probably kill all of the soldiers that had been guarding the doors in his fury. Well that was if he didn't catch me and then… I didn't really want to think about that. I felt a sudden surge of excitement and anticipation run through me from my dragon as they felt the fresh breeze in their nostrils but they were also getting sleepy. It felt like any minute now they might just drop off and then I would be in trouble. Then I suddenly realised another problem. The stables were likely to be in the courtyard which was still part of the castle. To actually get out you would have to go through the port-cullis and across the drawbridge into the main city. I could see the stables now, we were heading over straight towards them but that wouldn't help me get out. I needed to think of something quick. **

"**OH MY GOD A PUPPY!" I screamed and ran over to the gate. The ironic thing was there was actually a puppy sitting in the shadow of a door archway just outside what looked like a pub several meters from the other side of the bridge. It was only a scrawny little mongrel but it was still cute. Its sodden hair hung in long lank folds over its skinny body as it sat there trying to find shelter from the rain. I gripped the cold wet bars of the gate. I heard Gordon come up behind me.**

"**Probably a mangy little mutt, with fleas and all" He said.**

"**It's cold and it's been left out in the rain and it's probably scared stiff!" I retorted defensively as I stuck my hand through the bars to point at it. **

"**Your father will probably get you a nicer puppy if you ask him rather than a scrounging little mongrel" He said. He obviously wanted to get back in the dry now.**

"**We cant just leave it!" I yelled "It could die!" Gordon sighed and gave in. He gestured to a guard who was sitting in the tower next to the gate to evidently open it. The guard shook his head and mouthed the word curfew. **

"**Oh come on! It's only a puppy!" Gordon shouted over the ever increasing noise of the rain. The other guard rolled his eyes and disappeared. For a couple of awful seconds I thought he had just ignored us but then slowly, inch by inch it started to lift. I had to stop myself from grinning from ear to ear. As soon as there was enough room I ducked swiftly under it and ran towards the puppy. I needed to lose Gordon and get out of sight of the castle so I gritted my teeth at it and let out a growl, noticeable enough to the puppy but mot so Gordon would see. The puppy gave a scared whimper then bolted off in between the houses. Perfect. **

"**No don't be frightened!" I called after it for Gordons benefit "Come back!" I sprinted after it as fast as I could. Well as fast as you can with a dragon clinging onto your leg underneath your dress. I rounded the corner then saw the puppy running along ahead of me I put on an extra burst of speed and I grabbed it then ducked behind an abandoned cart that was stacked high with sodden straw. I crouched and moved in behind some nearby wooden barrels in a narrow gap in between the walls of two neighbouring houses.**

"**Your highness?!" I heard Gordon call dumbfounded. "OH GOD! IVE LOST THE PRINCESS!" I suddenly heard him yell in fear. I felt so sorry for him. He was only trying to be good and now he was going to end up dead all because I was too much of a coward. I clenched my teeth and balled my fists. I pulled the hood further down over my head, hiding my perfect hair and shadowing my face then I pulled it closer around my body to try and hide the elaborate dress, not that the cloak wasn't elaborate enough. I left the puppy in a warm dry spot after partially rubbing its fur dry then I darted out the other direction into the rain and found myself in an alien street. The dragon hale don as I ran. I don't know how long I ran for I just knew that I was running as far away from the castle as I could. People dressed in worn sodden clothes peaked out of windows at me with outstanded expressions but I ignored them. The city seemed to be endless and by the time I reached the perimeter wall the castle was but a faint shadow in amongst the pounding rain. My breath rasped up and down my throat and the dragon felt like a lead weight on my leg. My feet were sodden and so was the long trail on the bottom of my skirt. I sagged up against the wall when all of a sudden I heard the distant ring of alarm horns in the distance. They had finally pieced it together and now they were coming to get me. I had to get out of Uru'bean. I ran along the city wall for nearly a mile before I found the west gates. I'm not exactly that fit and well lets put it this I was dying. My breaths rasped as they passed up and down my throat and my legs were shaking. Just as I arrived they were beginning to close, the massive wooden gates slowly creaking shut. I tried to look unsuspicious as I rapidly approached the gates but that guard still looked me quizzically as I ran up to them. **

"**And where do you think you're off to my lady?!" One smiled at me.**

"**Please I just need to get out now!" I said and I ran for the rapidly closing gap in between the gates. **

"**Ah ah ah! Just you hold on a second!" The same one smiled and before I knew it he had hold of my wrist. "We've heard word that the city is under curfew! That means no one can go in or out!" **

"**Please just let me go! I begged "No one will know! You haven't even shut the gates yet!"**

"**And why would I do that?" He asked smugly "Are you sure its not you who's the one they're after?! After all it's not everyday you meet someone who is dressed quite like you are!" I self consciously pulled the cloak tighter round me still. I knew I should have found some different clothes. I'd been too hasty. I had to go now. There were only centimetres left in between the two massive gates. Last minute thinking, aim for the crotch. I kicked the guy as hard as I could directly where it hurt. He was taken aback and he released my wrist and doubled over in pain.**

"**GET HER!" He bellowed his voice an octave higher but I had already gone. I squeezed through just as the last few centimetres disappeared and the guards were left hammering on the other side. Luck wasn't on my side. Outside the city walls more guards were posted on perimeter watch with two on either side of the gate, within seconds I was surrounded. They all looked fairly tired but seemed to be finally pleases that they had some excitement in their jobs. I stood in the middle of the road which wound away into the distance that was shrouded my rain and the dripping guards armour clinked around me. They jeered, thinking they had me but mo I wasn't going to give up that easy. They all started to slowly advance on me.**

"**Well, well, well! Look what we have here guys!" One of them laughed "Is someone trying to escape?!" He asked tauntingly. I smiled ecstatically back at him and that seemed to stunt his confidence a bit and they paused. I undid the broach at my neck and let the cape fall to the ground. Then I cracked my knuckles and deliberately flexed my hands to show off my gedway indanesia. If they had seen Murtagh's or Eragon's they would surely be intimidated by it and they were. Nearly all of them took an uncertain step backwards but they quickly got over it and started to advance again. So I played my ace. **

"**EVERYBODY LIKES KONFOO FIGHTING!!!!!" I struck a dramatic tai chi pose and went "hoi….ya!" doing a professional scissor kick and nailing one guy in the face. Unfortunately I forgot about the dragon holding onto my lag and it flew off and grabbed hold of the next thing they came into contact with which just happened to be a guards face. Whoops! He gave a strangled cry as the tiny dragon dug its sharp white claws into his face. Two down, two more to go. I span around to find them to find they were no longer there but running away along the side of the huge wall shooting terrified glances back over their shoulders as they went. A horse stood abandoned by the gate and it tossed its head in fright at the tiny green dragon that was prancing round my feet. I picked up my cloak. Luckily it hadn't got dirty, only a bit wet and I draped it back around my shoulders and did it up. Then I picked up my hyperactive little green dragon and tried to get it to stay still in my arms which it did reluctantly after about a minute. I slowly approached the horse and now it seemed to be alright. It was beautiful, about 16 something hands with a silky black coat and a white star and socks. It had a slim but lean body, perfect for travelling long distances. I took a swift look at its genital area and found that it was a gelding. **

"**Righty ho boy!" I said patting his flank and I swung my self up into his saddle. I decided to cal him Nightfire. It was my favourite name for a horse, one that I had always called my imaginary horses who always had seemed to be a made up representation of the one I was on at the moment. Suddenly I heard a low groan and the gates started to open again and I heard voices yelling on the other side. **

"**Go out and find her if you don't want to die!" Luckily the Nightfire spooked and he bolted. I clutched the dragon close to my chest as we thundered up the road away from Uru'baen, the rains pounding drowning out the cries of the men behind as I escaped the clutches of Galbatorix. I was the last truly free rider in all of Alagaesia. **

**Yep, I told you evie could be hysterically funny. Hope you liked it!**


	14. Chapter 14

I awoke at sunrise, once again before everyone else. I walked through the forest aimlessly, memorizing every tree, every branch. I started walking back in the direction of the camp we had made when I had heard someone move, and soon found out it had been captain becker. We both sat next to each other, watching as the city started to stir. We had left my father back at ellesmira, against his wishes, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to go to the city with the others today,but I didn't mind. I could smell the fresh scent of rain on the horizon and wanted to build a shelter for when everyone got back. I heard someone yawn behind me and turned to see both scoble and the doctor doctor were waking up. I also spotted abbie and conner sat in a tree a little way off. I smiled.

"mornin' sleepy heads," I told them and scoble turned her attention to me rapidly, her eyes brighter and sharper than I had ever seen them. It had been a full moon last night and would be again tomorrow. She had told us that she could control when she 'changed' but that it put her in an odd mood. She sniffed the air.

"rain," she grunted as she got up, not looking to pleased about it. Megan and Caitlain nodded to each other. I had completely forgot about them until now and felt renewed happyness that they were here.

"what's the plan, Stan?" the doctor asked, cheerful as ever. I paused momentarily to see if anyone else was going to speek, but they didn't.

"you guys go to the city. I cant cause im an elf, and elf's don't usually come to uru'bean. It smells like its going to rain, so I will make a shelter. Megan, Caitlain, can you magic up some clothes?" I asked them and they both nodded again before both saying some words under there breath. Two piles of clothes appeared on either side of where they were sat and both reached over to get them, not realizing what the other was doing.

"ummm… guys?" I asked them both. They both looked at me and I signalled at the two lots of clothes.

"megan, magic yours away. I got this." Caitlain said to her.

"no, you. Mine are way better." megan replied. My only thought was that this was going to be another very long argument.

"you guys choose." Caitlain told us. "you'll be wearing them." with that things went quickly. Everyone rushed around, going into the the forest to get changed. then they all went in a big group and suddenly I found myself all alone, just me and the forest. I started work immediately, going deeper into the forest and finding wood to build the shelter.

I had just finished putting huge leaves on the outside of the structure and had sat down when it started raining. It was sudden, with no other warning than the smell that had hung around all morning, carried on the wind. It was a heavy rain, going straight down and soaking anything and everything. I was dry under the shelter, and it was begging to warm up slightly. A few minutes later an alarm sounded in the direction of the city and I heard footsteps. They were quick, the people were running or jogging quickly. They were soon at the structure I had built and as I watched seven dripping masses settled down with me, one shaking his head and spraying us all with slightly murky water.

"eewww… thanks becker," megan said, as everyone around me wrung out their hair or took off their cloaks. Caitlain held out a basket for me.

"we already ate, but we got you some food to," she told me and I took out slightly soggy paper. I unwrapped it to find a still slightly warm pasty nestled inside. I ripped it in half, releasing the sweet smell of slightly undercooked pastry and vegetables with gravy. I sighed in comtent before quietly nibbling on the pieces.

"what's going on?" I asked, I could still here the alarm going in the back ground.

"the city is under curfew. Something about someone trying to escape with the last dragon egg." megan said as I licked my fingers, savouring the flavour. What she said snapped me right out of my oblivion.

"whaaaaa?.." I asked, completely taken by surprise.

"its true," Caitlain told me, watching as I began to stress out.

"bu -bu -bu -but, we- we have to save evie. How are we going to shave her now!?!" I finally managed to speak, though my toungh felt swolen in my mouth and my lips frozen stiff.

"witches, remember?" Caitlain said, as if that helped the situation at all. I sighed in defeat.

"do you here that?" Becker asked suddenly, jumping up. We all stared at him, taken completely by surprise at his outburst.

"cool beans!" I familiar voice half screeched as someone jumped from the shadow.

"AAAHHHHHHH!!!!" Becker screamed like a girl for a few seconds before Evie put her hand over his mouth to muffle the noise.

"Evie!" I said cheerfully, getting up to hug her even though she was also dripping wet.

"horsy!" scoble screeched, running past Evie back into the rain and taking the reign from her. It was only then that I realised that there was something wrapped round Evie's neck, and what she was wearing. She saw me looking and chuckled self consciously.

"yeah, I know right? Weird or what?" she told me before we both went and sat in the dry. As she sat she pulled whatever it was off her neck and put it on her lap. Scoble had come in from the rain, still holding onto the horse.

"its called night fire, by the way." she said, before fainting on my shoulder, but out of exhaustion or stress I wasn't sure, as just then I saw what it was in her lap. A beautiful little green dragon.

**didn't I say? Im just as mad as evie!!!! **

**roawrrrr!!!!!! Im a dinosaur!!! **

**I like the idea of superman screaming like a girl, didn't you?**

**And I made it up myself!**


	15. Chapter 15

I swayed unsteadily in the saddle as Nightfire plodded along the long dirt road underneath me. The sun was setting behind the trees and before long it would be dark. Dappled sunlight fell in patches on the winding road that ran around the edge of the city down to the south. Which I wasn't particularly sure about but the Varden was going to be my best bet for somewhere to stay alive. Anyway surely there was a reason as to why I had been chosen to be the last dragon rider and my best guess was that that reason was to fight for good. Luckily it had stopped raining several hours ago and the skies had cleared, giving my drenched clothes a chance to dry out but they were still fairly wet. The road wound down in between humongous stretches of wild grass that swayed and rippled in the slight breeze and shone golden under the light of the sun that was obscured by the occasional copse of trees. I gazed down at the dragon that was curled up in a tight ball in my arms, fast asleep. From what I remembered Galbatorix had known what gender the dragon was in the last dragon egg and that was a boy so I guessed the little dragon was a boy if the king had done his calculations right. After all that was why he wanted Saphira, she was the only female dragon left. I hugged him closer to my chest and spurred Nightfire into the trees as I heard voices approaching from along the road. He reluctantly cantered into the undergrowth and I got a face full of wet leaves. I spluttered before slowing Nightfire down again as he walked through the exceptionally tall grass after all I wanted to preserve his energy. It was likely I was going to have a long trek ahead of me. My clothes were still damp and it was gradually getting darker. By the time the sun was nearly set I was exhausted and shivering. My spasms woke up the little dragon and he clung to my neck then curled around my shoulders like a rough warm scarf. Surprisingly he was exceedingly warm and he warmed my blood as it was pumped around inside of me and before long I was pleasantly warm again but I didn't help my tiredness. Pretty soon my eyelids were beginning to droop and I could barely keep them open. I leaned forward in the saddle as Nightfire's trusty footing took me ever onwards and I slouched against his warm velvety neck. 

Voices woke me, I rose in the saddle, flexing my stiff muscles and sat upright. I squinted through the darkness with my bleary vision and spotted the warm glow of a campfire up ahead. It looked so warm and inviting but I knew I couldn't have the luxury myself it would only attract guards. I was about to turn away and try to find the road again which I had seemed to stray off of when I heard a recognizable voice ringing through the crisp air.

"What's going on?!" It was Lana. My heart almost jumped out of my chest and I jumped from the saddle, The dragon still clinging to my neck and led Nightfire forward by his reigns. 

"The city is under curfew. Something about someone trying to escape with the last dragon egg" I stopped dead in my tracks. That couldn't be… It seriously sounded like Megan but I thought she was still in the science classroom. God that seemed like such a long time ago now.

"Whaaaaa?!" I heard Lana speak again. 

"Its true" Ok now things were getting really weird. I swear that had been Caitlain. 

"Bu –bu –bu –but, we- we have to save Evie, how are we going to save her now?!" Lana asked. Awwwww… they had come to save me!!! I felt so loved! Well they were to late I had already done it all by myself! Well maybe with the help of the little tacker clinging to my neck.

"Witches remember!" Ok that had definitely been Caitlain but what had she said? Witches?! I surged forward again, longing to reach them.

"Do you hear that?!" It was Becker this time. So he was alright! I knew he would have survived the fall. He was only a couple of meters away from me now. 

"COOL BEANS!" I shrieked and jumped on him from behind. He let out a piercing scream just like a girl that rang in my ears and I span around in front of him, grinning and placed my hand over his mouth.

"Evie!" Lana cried then before I knew it she was hugging me tight despite my wet clothes. 

"Horsy!" Scoble screamed and she ran past me to Nightfire, typical I introduce an amazing horse into the picture and it gets all the attention! Lana broke away from me then ran her eyes up and down me with w quizzical eye. I didn't blame her I dreaded to think what I looked like. 

"Yea I know right! Weird or what?!" I grinned and I invited myself over to sit underneath her makeshift shelter just as the rain started to drizzle again. I pulled the dragon away from my neck and placed him on my lap then turned my attention to Scoble who was leading Nightfire in from under the rain. 

"He's called Nightfire by the way!" I smiled then exhaustion overcame me and I fainted on Lana's shoulder. Not embarrassing at all then. I was just dreading the explanations the following morning. 

**I'm glad to say I have got my computer working again, and will be updating lots today. Sorry that I couldn't add any more chapters last night but my computer was being annoying.**

**Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

That night I willingly let Evie slump against my side. It wasn't to uncomfortable, after all. Everyone, including me, kept looking at the little green dragon that slept in the folds of Evie's beautiful blue dress. As she had come in she had forgotten to take off her coat, and I realized only when she was beginning to wake up that she was wearing royal clothes, not servants rags. As we talked about what to do next I wished that Evie would wake up, but I wasn't willing to wake her up myself as I knew she was so obviously tiered. We finally decided that it was probably best to go to the varden, but that would mean going on another 'magic carpet ride' which I would like to avoid at all costs. I didn't get why megan and Caitlain didn't just 'transport' us to wherever we wanted to go, and a note to ask them. None of us went to sleep, it was obvious we were waiting for Evie to finally wake up. She finally openede her eyes as it was getting light outside. The rain had continued all through the night, though now it was begging to stop, if slowly.

"Evie?" I asked quietly and in response she groaned quietly, a bit TO quietly. "are you wearing, a corset!?!" my raised voice woke her instantly and she blushed before taking a shallow breath

"yeah," she whispered weakly. At that I shooed all the boys from the tent and pulled Evie up.

"turn round," I ordered and she did so. I took off her cloak and put it on the floor before unzipping her dress, pulling that down to and starting to undo the intricate knot that kept the corset from being loosened. When I finally got it loose and managed to peel it off Evie took a long, heavy breath.

"thanks," she said, stepping back into dress.

"uhuhuhHh," Caitlain said, waggling her finger to Evie. She muttered something under her breath again and another pile of clothes appeared. Evie went over to it and lifted up the old fashioned dress that everyone had to wear.

"what the?" asked evie, but put it on all the same. I thought that now would be as good a time as any, so as evie settled on the ground wearing her new dress I sat next to her, set about asking every question I had for her, including how she escaped and why she was wearing those clothes. It was then that a white gold crown complete with blue gems appeared on her head suddenly, winking into appearance just as Caitlain had made the clothes do, but this time it wasn't Caitlain.

**Yes, that's right, we added a very cool and VERY annoying twist. A cookie for anyone who can guess what will happen to make that crown annoying later on. **

**don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning--- once again I give the warning that this chapter is extremely funny, as evie was around me all day and some of my craziness had rubbed off on her, also she had had orange juice. [don't even ask…]**

I woke up in the morning, stiff from sleeping against Lana's side. Without asking questions part from why I was wearing a corset they helped me to get the darn thing off and provided me with a new set of clothes. It was a worn grey dress with long sleeves and skirt. I didn't mind the worn bit it was just the dress, yea they can be useful for hiding small dragons up but they weren't good for riding and they were extremely breezy. I put it on all the same, to tired to complain. As soon as I sat down again the dragon crawled back onto my lap and made himself comfy in the folds of the dress. I was just about to explain exactly what had happened, to stop them from staring at me quite the way they were when all of a sudden I felt a slight weight materialize on top of my head. Caitlain and Lana both looked up at it in shock and I dumbfoundedly reached up and groped at it before removing it from my head. I stared in horror at what lay in my hands, its intricate beauty sparkling under the light of the early morning sunshine. It was my crown. My breath caught in my throat when all of a sudden an overwhelming anger pulsed through me. Why did it have to come back?! I didn't want it! Galbatorix had evidently placed a spell on it so wherever I would loose it, it would always return to me. I growled before yelling and throwing it out of the tent door where it hit a tree trunk and came whooshing back and hit me in the side of the head. Again. I stared at it as it fell to the floor in front of me with gritted teeth and my nostril flared.

"This is just you and me punk!" I yelled at it before picking it up and running outside then throwing it on the ground and stamping on it as hard as I could until the metal was deformed and smeared in mud and several of the gemstones had fallen out into the dirt. Then I picked it up and threw it as far and as hard as I could into the depths of the surrounding trees.

"And don't come back!" I screamed after it so loudly I roused a flock of black birds from the nearby undergrowth and they squawked as they flew upwards into the sky. My face was thunderous as I stalked back into the tent with my jaw clenched and I flopped back down onto the hard dry grass that covered the floor.

"Evie..." Scoble asked. "There something you want to tell us?!"

"No!" I snapped. Then I felt it materialize on top of my head again. Its pristine condition was undiminished. I ripped it from my hair and threw it at the tent wall, making Becker duck as it nearly hit him in the face. I clenched my hands into fists, desperately trying to fight away the tears that were beginning to well in my eyes. I buried my head in between my knees to hide the tear that was now rolling down to the point of my nose. I felt my dragon gently nuzzle my side as if he was trying to comfort me. I opened my eyes and smiled at him as he tried to climb onto my lap I picked him up and hugged him again. Well at least one good thing had come out of what happened to me. Him. I took in a long deep breath no that the corset wasn't there to restrict my breathing.

"Galbatorix is my father" I whispered solemnly. Everyone was deathly silent for several seconds until Lana had the guts to speak up.

"How?!" She asked.

"Geeze Marize!" Caitlain and Megan said in unison. "And we thought we had parental issues!"

"Yea..." I asked suddenly "What exactly is it with you two? Becker's superman, Abbie and Connor are vampires, Scoble's a werewolf etc... So you are..."

"Witches!" They both answered simply at the same time. "And sisters" They then said and turned to give each other the evils as if they truly loathed each others guts.

"Great!" I exclaimed with an expression of mock horror on my face.

"Is it just me or is the whole world going to shit?!" I murmured to myself, truly believing for a couple of seconds that I was slowly going insane.

_Evie..._ A quiet voice suddenly drifted through my mind. It sounded grand and prestigious but also young. I froze, my heart hammering in my ears and I listened for it again.

_Evie..._ The voice said again. Then all of a sudden I realised who it was. I looked down to see my dragon gazing up at me from my lap with dark eyes that ever since he had hatched were rapidly turning a deep shade of emerald green.

_Evie... _He hummed again. I sat speechless. His first word was my name. Awwww MAN that was cute!!! I then let a broad grin spread over my face and I hugged him to my chest as hard as I could without crushing him. He looked up at me again.

_Evie... _He hummed then he jumped from my lap and began to snuffle around the tent and nibble at odd pieces of grass.

"I think he's hungry" I said just as he was about to try Scoble's fingers.

"What just happened?!" Lana asked me, awestruck.

"He knows my name!" I smiled, my eyes never straying from him as he scampered round the tent.

"Oww!" Scoble suddenly exclaimed rather loudly as the dragon nibbled one of her fingers a bit to hard. She let out a rippling growl, which I didn't even know was capable of coming out of a human's throat. The dragon froze and stared up at her before making a hair brained dash back over to me and scampered back up onto my lap and watched her cautiously.

"Scoble! That was violent and unnecessary!" I said, in an irritated voice.

"Hey that's my saying!" She complained.

"I don't care!" I retorted, "He's only hungry! He needs something to eat!"

"Consider it done!" Abby said, whom I almost forgot was there leapt up to her feet with Connor at her side and then she and him disappeared out of the tent door in a flash. They were back with in seconds a dead rabbit hanging from Abbie's immaculate white hand. The dragon lifted his head and sniffed the air before darting over to her. He would have ate it whole if she had let him but luckily she went outside and fed it to him in manageable chunks until he could eat no more then he followed her back inside and he come over to me and curled up in a tight ball around his bulging belly and slept on the rim of my skirt.

"What are we going to do now?!" I asked, watching the dragon as he slept.

"I thought our best bet was the Varden" Lana said "But last night Abbie, Connor and Becker were discussing that they possibly want to go their own way." All of us looked over at them, which obviously put them in a bit of an uncomfortable spot.

"Yea... The doctor was going to come with us as well. We thought that it was best for us; after all we're not that much help to you. You'll do fine without us and we really need to get back"

"How are you going to get back though?" I asked.

"We'll scour the landscape with our detectors" Connor said "There's bound to be another anomaly somewhere all we have to do is find it. It won't be that difficult us being... well you know and Becker being superman. We'll be back before we know it! We would have offered to take you lot with us but then Lana told us our world isn't exactly the same as yours and you would prefer it this way."

"You're probably right" I sighed "It's the best way for all of us"

"We need to get going soon" Lana suddenly said as she inspected the ever rising sun on the horizon. I groaned and rose to my stiff legs and picked up my dragon in my arms.

"Can't we have something to eat first!" I complained. "I'm starving!" Megan and Caitlain gave a swift wave of their hands and a giant platter of food appeared in front of each of them. All of a sudden Caitlain's face became dark and contorted with fury and she turned to Megan.

"HOW DARE YOU CONJURE UP THE STRAWBERRIES!" She screamed "YOU KNOW THAT'S MY JOB!" She opened her fist and inside was a pulsing ball of fire. Seeing this Lana thought it was best to step in and prevent them from trying to destroy each other and probably all of us with them.

"Guys, guys, GUYS!" She yelled. "Please we have more important and sensitive issues to attend to!" Caitlain reluctantly extinguished her ball of magic fire and instead blew apart Megan's bowl of strawberries causing juicy red missiles to fly in all directions. Everyone groaned as fragments of the exploded fruit hit them and they picked the off.

"For goodness sake Caitlain! Was that really necessary?!" Lana breathed in an exasperated tone.

"Yes!" She sniffed, giving Megan an excruciating set of the evils and sitting back down with a humph! I eyed their conjured food cautiously as did everyone else and I waited for Scoble to take the first bite as if I was checking it wasn't poisoned. After all you never know with Megan's cooking. After being finally persuaded (my rumbling stomach helped me!) I plucked a tasty looking pastry from the tray and hastily began munching it down. I ate two soon as I was in an exceptionally piggish mood and then got up and had the feeling that I was missing something. Then I suddenly realised that that thing was my trampoline. God darn it! Ah well I guessed I would just have to do with out. I picked up the dragon and walked outside where I found Nightfire tethered to a picket and I undid the reigns. Everyone behind me was helping to disassemble the tent and soon it was no more then I pile of leaves and branches which all went onto the fire and were left to burn as to leave as little trace that we had been here as possible. I held onto Nightfire's reigns as I let him graze the lush grass beside me that carpeted the hard moist earth.

"So I guess this is it!" Came a voice from behind me as I admired the way Nightfire's silky coat shone in the sunlight. I turned around to see Becker standing there looking a bit abashed.

"Yea I guess so" I smiled. "So your going now then?!"

"Yea we thought it was the best time." He said.

"Well it's been nice knowing you!" I grinned

"You too!" he smiled "And good luck!"

"Bye soldier boy!" I said as it looked like he was about to walk past me to go over and join Abbie, Connor and the Doctor who were waiting at the edge of the trees. He turned and gave me an accusing stare then came over and whispered in my ear.

"Bye princess" He said knowing that, that would annoy me just as much as soldier boy annoyed him then he pressed something that felt like a ball into my hand. He then gave me a swift kiss on the cheek and walked away leaving me as red as a tomato. I looked down at the metal ball in my hand then I realised not a ball, my crown. He had crushed it which actually made me feel a whole lot better. I watched as my friends disappeared into the trees, as I was about to embark on the quest of a lifetime.

**that's right guys, im sorry to say that everyone left. I know, I know, its such a sad time. **

**Ambrele, I talked to evie and she said that it was such a good idea she would try and write them back into the story later on. Also all I can tell everyone is what I know for sure. **

**1. Although im writing what is in essence half of this story I do not know what is going to happen [evie had laughed when I begged her, evilly at that, and said that she wasn't going to tell me cause she wanted it to be a surprise]**

**2. There is going to be some huge fight scene, but between who and who I haven't a clue. Hope you keep reading!**

**Oh, and I have enabled anonymous reviews now, by the way!**


	18. Chapter 18

"**sooo…" I said after they had gone to break the tension that was stediley building up. "anyone know which way the varden is?" megan and Caitlain put there hands up at the same time. "how?" I asked them and they giggled together, iffrences seemingly forgotten for now. **

"**magic!" Caitlain said. That had been her answer for every thing at school, I realized with a shock.**

"**what, your just going to conjure up **_**eragon **_**or what?" I asked them, refering to the book. They both waved their hands and two books floated in front of them, one **_**eragon **_**and one **_**brisingr. **_**[is that how you spell it?]**

**I sighed and grabbed the golden book then ripped out two of the maps. **

"**no fare!" Caitlain wingged and megan laughed. **

"**told ya," she said before both books disappeared. I gave one map to Evie and kept the other for myself. Caitlain congoured up three more maps for everyone else, probably to show she was worth something to the group. First I looked for where we were then for where the varden were. **

"**hey guys." I said looking up and at the two sister witches. "can you, like, open a portal or something?" I asked and they both shrugged. **

"**yeah why?" **

"**then why did we have to go on a magic carpet ride to get here?" **

"**magic carpet ride?" Evie asked, obviously trying not to laugh.**

"**another time, Evie." I told her with a grin. **

"**cause we felt like it," Caitlain said, avoiding the conversation completely. "when do you want to go?" **

"**now," I told her. **

"**okay." she said and they both lifted there arms again. **

"**poof," megan said and I saw the landscape shimmer around us. Suddenly it was wet, we were wet. We were also stood in the middle of a city. **

"**uh, guys?" I asked unsurely. **

"**welcome to the varden!" the sisters shouted at the same time so that we could all hear them over the rain. **

"**no, guys!" I told them looking round and round, nut still I couldn't find her. **

"**WHERE'S EVIE!!" **

**Sorry guys, but I did tell you that the sudden endings after someone shouts something terrible just carried on happening, whether I liked it or not. **

**For any superman or smallville fans out there, I would recommend a brilliant fanfic by **_**smirk raven. **_**even if your not into superman I would recommend reading it, as it is brilliant!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Just cause I forgot before**

**Disclaimer---haha, yeah right… I don't even own this chapter cause technically its evies, lol!**

Nightfire plodded steadily along underneath me along the long dirt road that lead south from Urû'baen onwards to the southerly stretches of the empire. The midday sun broke through the omniscient storm clouds that were rolling away to the west taking the rain with them. I was still feeling miffed about the fact that Caitlain and Megan had left me behind. I mean the nerve! How the hell did they manage to forget me? Or maybe their magic was just plain dodgy, that would explain a lot of things. Just before I had left I had bundled my minimal amount of possessions into a scrap of material and tied them to Nightfire's saddle. In the tiny sack was my map torn out of one Eragon books, a bulging water skin, my eccentric sparkly necklace, my crown in ball form (I figured if I never lost it, it would never reappear back on my head in its original form and if anyone happened to come across it they wouldn't identify it for what it really was.) I also had a couple of scraps of food left over from breakfast. Fruit for me and strips of bacon for my dragon who spent his time either curled in my lap or crawling around on Nightfire's back, much to his annoyance. In the last day he had become more active and had already grown nearly two inches from his head to the tip of his tale. His rate of growth was exceptionally fast and he would soon have to walk alongside. I knew the Varden's current location was Surda though I couldn't exactly remember where so I was just heading in that direction for now. I should have kept one of the books that Caitlain had conjured up that would have helped me. I knew it would take days, possibly weeks depending on how fast I travelled to reach any town. I had inspected my map in great detail and had decided to go in the direction of Furnost, a southerly town at the northern tip of Tudosten Lake. There I could stop and buy supplies for the journey and a weapon which I figured I would be needing. Around mid afternoon I spotted Murtagh and Thorn scouring the horizon and I immediately guessed that they were looking for me and I galloped into a patch of trees and didn't remerge until they were done. The day was long and arduous and by the time it was over both Nightfire and me were exhausted but I kept him going well into the night before I dared stopped for rest. We made camp under a small patch of trees that were becoming more and more rare as we began to venture onto a vast and arid plane as we passed the source of the Ramr River. I picketed Nightfire to a tree and both of us fell to sleep almost at once. (The dragon was already asleep)

In the morning I woke cold and stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. I got up and stretched my aching muscles then ate some of my dwindling supplies of fruit and drank some of my water that was fast running out. I managed to fins a small stream and I let Nightfire take his fill and I refilled my water skin until bursting point. By what I had seen in Urû'baen I guessed now in Alagaesia was at the end of the third book so the Varden had probably just taken the city Feinster just east to the tailbone of the spine. So that's where I was headed. Apart from I had no idea which direction southwest was because after all I had no compass. God where is Megan and Caitlain when you need them?! Actually I wasn't that desperate. I rode for the rest of the day, the landscape around me gradually becoming more harsh and dry. I was grateful that I had filled up my water skin so much but it still only lasted for one day with all three of us drinking out of it. That night I had more trouble finding a stream. The best I could do was I tiny murky pool of rainwater left behind by the now retreating storms. I tried to take as much clean water as I could but it was difficult and I let Nightfire and the dragon drink their fill so they wouldn't take a greater portion of my own supplies that I figured might be even harder to find next time. That night we slept under the stars with no roof or branches covering us. I watched the stars gradually move across the sky as my breath twisted away in silvery puffs in front of me. There were just so many stars... All of them a dense sparkling mass in the velvety black sky. It was cold with mo cloud cover and in the relatively flat landscape the wind swept across it in great sweeping gushes with no hills to tame its relentless strength.

By the end of the third day we were all thirsty and my mouth was dry and my lips were chapped but we pressed on. I soon ran out of my meagre food supplies and I had to go foraging which me being me all most always turned out unsuccessful so I mostly went hungry. Nightfire could eat the dry grass and I was surprised to find that the dragon happily hunted for himself, finding shrews and mice in the grass.

Days passed and there was still no sign of civilisation on the horizon, only the bleak wilderness. I found I had less and less energy due to my inaccessibility to food and I found most of my days were just a bore as I sat slouched in the saddle. I didn't know it was possible to grow tired of your own name but I soon did with the dragon humming it day in day out. Sometimes he even hummed in his dreams that somehow found their ay into my head and I found myself dreaming the same thing that was rather creepy. You seriously have no idea what juvenile dragons think about. I talked to him in the day with our strange telepathic connection, he didn't talk back of course and I used pictures to help him understand certain things hoping that soon he would start replacing my name with other words but he never did. I just think he was being plain stubborn. I gradually lost count of the days and I cannot describe to you the feeling that I got when I first spotted the gleaming strip of silver on the horizon that was the edge of the lake. It looked like a sheet of beaten silver stretched out on the landscape. Of course the dragon spotted it before i did as his eyesight was so much keener than mine. His excitement was soon explained minutes after when I spotted the town as well. As we neared it we accidentally ventured onto a road that headed towards the small town. Along it I was quick to find out there were travellers and traders with loaded with carts. I walked Nightfire alongside the road for a time because the road was so rutted but then we strayed away from it again when someone shot a questioning glace at the green tail that was sticking out of the side of my blue travelling cloak. It took longer than expected to reach the town I was there by midday but I had spotted it in the early hours of the morning just after we had set off. I found a secluded patch deep in amongst a large copse of trees where I picketed Nightfire and told the dragon to stay. I didn't dare take either of them into the town because well a dragon is a dragon and I recently discovered that Nightfire had been branded with a mark much to my dislike (branding horses in nasty) which meant he belonged to the army and I would almost definitely be accused of stealing if I took him in there. I felt bad leaving the dragon there but what else was I to do. I was starving enough as it was and my aching belly was screaming at me to feed it. I took my sack of possessions and walked from the trees and around the town's huge outer wall to the north gate. I looked up at it to see sentries posted along the ramparts with arrows knocked in their bows with the strings drawn tight. They were obviously familiar to war in this section of the empire. My head swam a little as the gleam of the bright midday sun shone in my eyes and I merged into the crowd of travellers that were passing along the road. A hard lump formed in my stomach when I saw the guards that were surrounding the gate scanning their eyes over the bustling crowd that was passing into the town, stopping each unfamiliar person and asking them their intentions in the place. This was bad. Surely news hadn't already got ahead of me about my treason to the king. I would just have to hope they were looking for some ordinary criminal. I ducked into a large crowd of merchants and tried to keep my head down as we passed underneath the massive portcullis. Luckily it seemed to work and the guards didn't give me a second glance. They were probably bored out of their wits anyway. I glanced around as I was swept along in the throng of people and I let them take me in the favoured direction that I guessed was to the market place. Signs of war were everywhere. The town seemed to be lacking in men and older boys and people went about the place with knives at their sides and a hard expression upon their faces. Starved dogs roamed the streets looking for scraps of food, evidently turned out by owners who could not afford to feed them. No children played in the streets but stayed in their homes instead, perhaps because of their overprotective mothers. The hot sun beat down on the bustling mass of people as they went about their business. Pretty soon I was at the market place soon as it was small town it was fairly small and busy but I guessed it was a lot less busy then it normally was. Stalls were packed into the dusty square and merchants shouted over the noise of the crowd which churned their way in between the colourful tents and stalls as they tried to sell all sorts of things from goats to food to clothes to supposed charms to ward off misfortune. What caught my caught my attention though was someone trying to sell a flock of women. I didn't have any money so I figured I would to sell something and my necklace would do perfectly. I pushed through the women with plenty of pardons and apologies before I was stood in front of the traders stall which displayed varied pieces of jewellery all in silk lined boxes. The trader had dark hair and a small goatee and I heard whispers from the horde of women that his name was Merlock.

"This exquisite piece of finery has come all the way from the famed craftsmen of Belatona and I will sell it to you lovely bunch of ladies for only five crowns!" From the mass behind me came a chorus of oohs and aahs. In his hands he bestowed a lustrous golden rose that glinted under the light of the sun.

"Umm... Excuse me!" I said rather timidly over the noise of the crowd.

"Ahh yes!" He smiled formally turning his attention to me. "Are you interested! It would go very well with your hair" He said holding it up against my long blonde hair. "Or maybe this!" He suggested reaching down and picking up a sapphire necklace on a silver chain. "For you only four crowns! It would match your eyes!"

Flattery is going to get you nowhere. I thought grimly to myself.

"I'm not interested in buying but selling" I said reaching into my small cloth bag and feeling for the necklace.

"Oh really?!" He said with obvious curiosity.

"This!" I said pulling it out and placing it on the red silk cloth that lay on the table. The finely cut gems gleamed intensely under the sun. Merlock was taken aback. He evidently hadn't been expecting me to draw something of that scale of value out of my worn little bag. He reached forwards with a wonder in his eyes and paused just as he was about to touch it.

"May I?!" He asked. I nodded briskly. "I think..." He said to himself. "Ladies, ladies! I shall be back in ten minutes with more finery to show you if you would just be patient a wait a few minutes!" He smiled pleasantly at the crowd then they all dispersed with some mumbling and went to inspect the other stalls.

"Sorry!" I apologised, thinking I had lost him most of his customers.

"It alright!" He replied, "They'll be back. Women can't seem to keep away from such treasures!" He locked all of the items of jewellery into a strongbox underneath the table then held aside the flap of his tent for me.

"Thank you" I smiled and I ducked into the tent, glad to be out of the baking sun.

"I am curious..." He said following me in and gently inspecting my necklace in his hands. "To how a young lady like yourself came across this an item of this finery. These are no doubt real diamonds and all set in white gold." I knew this was a touchy subject I had to side track him and get it over and done with.

"I'm awfully sorry but I don't have much time. Will you buy it or wont you?"

"I am afraid I wouldn't be able to offer you the price that this necklace is worth"

"That doesn't matter" I persisted. "I just need enough money to buy supplies. That necklace is of no value to me"

"The most I could offer you is seventy crowns but that is nowhere near its true value. If you took this to a more prestigious merchant in the capital you would get somewhere in the region of one hundred and twenty nearly twice what I can offer you"

"That doesn't matter I just need the money now" I said looking over at him as he bet over a workbench and inspected the necklace with various instruments.

"Fine" He breathed, "As you wish! Just know that you are cheating yourself out of your own money!" He went over to a locked chest in the corner and counted out my money into a small white purse.

"Perhaps I can offer you one of my own wares as compensation" He suggested.

"No its fine!" I said, "You keep your trinkets. I would have no use of them"

"As you wish!" He repeated. "I am curious though. Last I heard of this necklace it was in possession of the king" This was definitely hot water. I had to go. I pulled on a surprised face at such information

"I did not know!" I smiled at him then I went to escape his questions with the bulging purse of money clutched tightly in one hand.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you!" He called after me as I disappeared into the bustling market place. I made a straight beeline over to a baker's stall where the smell of fresh bread had been tormenting me from and I bought a hunk of bread and cheese and sat down on a doorstep to eat it. Then I treated myself to some raspberries and I bought as much food as I thought I could carry for the journey, most of it dried meat (I figured I would have to scrap being a vegetarian simply to survive) and bread and cheese with a couple of dried apples. Then I went to a clothes stall. I was fed up of dresses plus mine was flayed and dirty. I bought a pair of black trousers and a white shirt. The last thing I needed was a weapon and there were plenty about, times being what they were. I went into an armoury store. I figured I would be useless with a sword so I bought the finest bow and a full quiver of arrows there soon as I was reasonably good at archery. I also got a small knife with an exquisitely carved bone handle that was a necessity and could easily be hidden in the folds of my clothes. By then I had barely any money left and was determined to save the rest for if I needed it. I didn't want to have to resort to stealing if I got desperate for money. I made my way back through the mass of people which was now starting to thin struggling with my large amount of possessions. At one point an all to eager young man came over and offered me his help but I said I was fine and he turned away with a disappointed expression on his face. I decided to go the long was round through a more or less deserted street so I didn't have to compete for space. I walked down the road in between run down houses that looked as if they were about to topple over in any second. The war was really taking its tole on people living here in the small towns and villages. I felt sorry for them. I was so busy being absorbed by my own pitying thoughts I tripped over a rock jutting out of the dirt. The contents of my food sack went everywhere.

"Bang on time!" Came a cheery voice and I looked up to see a woman with long locks of dark waving hair. Sitting outside of a dark tent peering at me with kindness in her eyes. I just frowned thinking to much sun must have gone to her head and went about picking up my things. Once I was done I straightened up and brushed my self down, hugging the sack to my chest.

_You were always going to trip over that rock._ Said another voice except this one came not verbally but telepathicly. I frowned and looked around and saw a deep pair of amber cats eyes staring at me from inside the tents dark interior. _It could not have been prevented and would not have happened any other way. Like your future. _A talking cat?! Okay... Then It suddenly hit me just who this was. Angela and Solembum. Suddenly I realised Angela was looking at me in a questioning manner then she looked into the flap of the tent then at me and back again.

"He's talking to you!" She asked in surprise.

"Yea… I muttered in a quiet voice.

"That's rare. He barely ever talks to people. Your only the fourth in all my years! You don't look like the normal sort you get round here either! Lets guess are you travelling somewhere?"

"Yes" I answered "Not sure quite what awaits me there but I go all the same" I smiled.

"Hummmm..." She contemplated studying me with her wise brown eyes. "Would you like to know what awaits you there? Soon as Solembum talked to you, you must be different"

"What you mean tell me my future?" I stuttered.

"Yes" She replied "But beware it is not for the faint hearted! It can be a terrible thing to know your future. Most of the time you would be better knowing with out. The last women I cast the bones for regretted it but only if you want to" Did I really want to know my future? I didn't know. Like she said I knew it could be a curse. But of course my curiosity got the better of me and if Eragon had his future told then I could too. Surely mine could be no worse than his could it? After all we were both Dragon riders.

"Ok" I said, my voice sounding a bit shakier than I meant it to.

"Come inside then" Angela smiled at me and she picked up her small table and bought it with us into the tent. Inside it was dark and humid and I saw Solembum lurking underneath another table in the far corner. Exotic pants were potted around the place filling the place with intoxicating fragrances that made my thoughts go funny.

"Sit here" She instructed gesturing to a small rickety chair on one side of the table and I sat down obediently and waited as she dug around in a large trunk then straightened up, slightly breathless with a leather pouch clasped in one hand.

"These..." She said coming over and pouring the contents onto the table top "Are the knuckle bones of a dragon" Each bone was long and smooth and slightly longer than then a fully-grown mans fingers. "Don't ask where I got them because that is information that I am not willing to divulge. These bones hold true power. Are you sure you want me to do this?" She asked and I slowly nodded.

"So be it" She said and she picked up the bones in her hands then her lips moved soundlessly before all of a sudden she exclaimed "Manin, Wyrda, Hugin!" And I seemed to watch in slow motion as the bones fell towards the tabletop and the way they would fall was going to tell me the path of my life. Information that no one should really know.

**I hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review. Im looking for a beta for my newest story, 'why me' *looks pointedly at ambrele* so if ANYONE wouldn't mind correcting my spell and telling me that my ideas are rubbish please just ask!**


	20. Chapter 20

"I honestly didn't know this would happen," Caitlain said in an apologetic voice for the hundredth time in the last hour. I KNEW this would happen, it was bound to. After I had practically screamed that last sentence in the middle of the street the people who had swelled around us now finally realized we weren't meant to be here. The guards had been called and we had stood waiting for them to get Nasuada from the VERY tall building. I had also heard Eragon's name mentioned once or twice, but that was when I had blanked everything else around me. It was as if my sight was drawn to that place. I sniffed digectidly as I watched the back of a certain dwarfs head. But I knew it couldn't be her. No matter what had happened so far I knew for a fact that she couldn't be here, and certainly NOT an elf. But of corse at the time I didn't have a conscious thought. I pushed forward, allowed past simply because I was an elf, and tapped the woman on the back. It was simply the same dark, slightly crimped hair, I promised myself as she turned round.

"can I help you?" she had asked curiously, but once again I had completely stopped thinking. The only thing I could say was,

"ruby?" and of course she had frowned and told me 'I think you have me confused with someone' in that voice so scarily like ruby's. they always said everyone had a twin.

"do I know you?" she had said instead and at that I simply laughed.

"ruby." this time I said it with a kinda conviction, a no-you-cant-be-tell-me-your-not voice. But instead she smiled.

"side burns 'n' all," she said with a smirk.

"you don't have side burns" I told her, as it was the only thing I could think of. "oh, its Lana, by the way. D'you come 'ere 'ofen?" I added as a second thought, in that voice we had often used when meeting up. It was her turn to look shocked, but a sudden commotion snapped me from our personal bubble. Remembering the task at hand I pushed back to my friends. I went and stood with them, felling slightly exposed and in the open stood in front of all these humans and dwarfs, so filled with hate. I sighed as the feelings came crashing down on me, an after affect of being 'human' for so long. The crowed parted as a woman in a long dress strolled through the crowd. She held herself high and I realized who she was almost immediately, in doing so I got down on one knee and bowed deeply. When I got back up I noticed for the first time Arya stood behind her. I looked at the floor as leader of the varden took a few more steps forward and studied all of us critically.

"what brings you to the varden?" she asked and I spoke up before anyone else could.

"we coming seeking shelter and help. Only on the journey we _misplaced _our friend and last dragon rider." I heard gasps around us but the woman simply smiled as if it was a joke.

"_misplaced_. How can you _misplace _a dragon rider on a journey?" she asked, not sounding annoyed but rather slightly amused.

"well, uhh…" I didn't want to say anything anyone else didn't want me to, so I trailed off.

"were witches." Caitlain told them as if it was simple.

"huh!" said the woman. "would you like to talk some more in secret?" she asked kindly and I nodded quietly before we all followed behind the guards that were protecting her to the castle.

When we got there the woman dismissed her guard, keeping only us and Arya in the room with her. Of course on the journey there THAT had been when both Caitlain and Megan had been apologizing over and over. So now you were all caught up I could continue with the story.

"what are your names and where do you all come from?" I decided to take charge and told her first.

"lafniar, or Lana as my friends know me by, and I'm from ellesmira." I told them.

"charlotte-" scoble said, interrupted by me and Caitlain bursting out laughing simultaneously. She ignored it as always, after hitting us both over the head. "scoble, though call me scoble cause they will just keep laughing, and im from America." I turned round, surprised.

"you never told me that!" I said, all joking gone now. She shrugged.

"everyone has there secrets." she told me.

"Megan and Caitlain COX, we're sisters." I raised my eyebrows slightly, knowing what that would cause.

"Cait-"

"save it for later, guys!" I told them before Megan could continue. Caitlain stuck out her tongue.

"that's everyone, I think. Oh, the girl who we managed to lose-"

"the dragon rider." the woman said.

"-is called Evie." I didn't say anymore, not knowing what her second name was or if I should tell them. Arya stepped forward for the first time.

"you're an elf right? I saw you talking to ruby down there. Its quite a collection of friends you got. One werewolf, two witches, one human and a dwarf." she told me, looking suspicious.

"I went through a portal to another world, pretended to be human to. I knew that scoble was a werewolf about as much as she knew I was elf." I told her patiently felling my old feelings come back to me, the shy young elf I had been. The one that had soon been stamped out from being around humans for years. I looked down and shuffled around, feeling her Arya's eyes on me, studying me with a critical eye.

"Arya." Nasuada warned her. "do we have a place for our guests?" she asked as I heard the door open.

"a dwarf by the name of ruby volunteered her house, said she knew them from somewhere." a man told her. I looked up as he looked around the group. The man was young, his helmet sliding over his eyes and he made an effort to push it back so he could see. "would you like me to take them?" he asked and Nasuada nodded.

"your dismissed." she said and we all followed the man through the castle and down a maze of long and confusing corridors. By the time we were out in the sun again I knew I wouldn't be able to find my way to that room again without an escort.

Ruby's house consisted of three rooms, two of which were bedrooms and one more which was a sort of lounge with a kitchen against one wall. Luckily the lounge had three sofas all low and very deep. Scoble had laughed when she had seen the house.

"its going to be like one giant sleepover!" she announced happily. I knew what that meant, all of us crammed into one of the bedrooms, with some sort of padding thing on the floor maybe or we might just be sleeping on the floor. And I was right, we did all sleep in one room, especially after finding out that ruby lived with her two brothers, who indecently no-one liked. They grunted answers much as the boys back 'home' the only difference being that they were all more than slightly plump, with that famous sideburn, moustache, beard combo going on and they were _very _short, especially compared to me. Unlike ruby, who was half human, the very reason for her being my best friend, or rather one of them. Time had gone so quickly and apparently it was now the summer holidays, holidays! I mean, I hadn't realized it had been so long! That was the reason she was here at all, otherwise she would be at school. She seemed more than just happy to see me and had obviously been terrified that when I had disappeared.

The next morning was strangely bright, and luckily for us we were allowed to 'settle', whatever that meant. We all helped ruby with her chores so that we would get longer time to do what we wanted.

"cowabungaa!!!" I screamed as I ran full speed to the side of the river and flung myself in as gracelessly as I could manage. Everyone laughed and held up their arms to protect their faces from the water that sloshed out of the river. I shivered slightly in the cold water. As I looked around me everyone was having water fights and laughing happily. It had been ruby's idea to come for a swim, seen as the weather had turned from something that reminded me slightly of having buckets of water tipped on our heads to warm with a slight breeze to swelteringly hot. We were all glad we had finished the hard work earlier so that we could mess around now. I was snapped out of my inner ramblings when someone splashed me. I looked round to see everyone around me in a circle, and

"three!" shouted from scoble, realizing to late what was happening and then I was showered from all sides. I laughed and spun in a circle, holding out my hand so that I could get everyone back. Then I retreated underwater for a bit. When I came up some people were scrambling onto the bank and sitting down, their clothes dripping as we hadn't thought to ask Caitlain or Megan to conjure up swim suits. They had, however, got us all towels, so I also got up to the bank and lay on one of them before closing my eyes, feeling happiness radiating from everyone around me and small beams of light escaping from the canopy above and hitting my face. The slight breeze moved some of my drying hair and before I knew it I was 'asleep'.

**Yes, my grammer and spelling is crummy. So complain! Just press that nice green button [or I think its green, but everyone else is like press the purple button and im like 'but its green!]**


	21. Chapter 21

**I desperately tried to hide the nerves in my stomach that were repetitively threatening to bubble over and show on my face. I steadied my breathing which was gradually increasing in pace and I glanced across the table at Angela as she sat hunched over the pile of mysterious bones as she frantically tried to decipher their meaning. I gazed anxiously at her as she finally after several minutes straightened up then mopped down her sweating forehead with an embroidered handkerchief. **

"**I thought the worse reading I would ever have to interpret was that poor boy****'****s but no you had to come along!****"**

"**Why. Is it complicated?!****"**** I asked.**

"**Yes it is! I have never seen its likes!****"**

"**Can you make anything out of it?****"**** I asked.**

"**Yes****"**** She replied ****"****Just about****…**** Some of may make more sense to you than it does to me. Shall I start with the good or the bad?!****"**

"**There****'****s bad?!****"**** I squeaked **

"**Yes and quite a lot of it I****'****m afraid.****"**

**Almost immediately I regretted my choice to have my future predicted but I didn****'****t ask her to stop. **

"**Though the goods are very good. Here see this,****"**** She said indicating to a tiny engraving on the side of one of the bones. It depicted a long horizontal line with a circle resting on it. ****"****This is the symbol for and infinity or long life which means you have many years ahead of you. Though what those years will be like I do not know. This is the second time I have seen it now! Most of the time it is an aspen or the elm which indicates that you will live a normal span of years but in your case this appears to be different!****"**** The first bit didn****'****t shock me though it was pleasant to know. Of course I am a dragon rider now however I didn****'****t want to outlive all of my friends and watch them grow old and die, actually thinking about it none of them would. Lana was an elf, she would live forever as long as she didn****'****t get fatally wounded or poisoned. Megan and Caitlain I wasn****'****t sure about but then again they were witches that probably meant that they had some spell or another to keep themselves alive. Scoble... I actually didn****'****t know but I was almost certain that she wouldn****'****t live a normal span like an average human. Then Angela carried on. **

"**But to contradict that this skull foretells that your death rapidly approaches. I don****'****t see how that is possible but the bones have never lied and will never lie and the claw represents that there is plenty of pain in your future. Whether this is emotional or physical I do not know.****"**

"**Okay...****"****I breathed shakily I knew my future would have to have some bad aspects, but I didn****'****t know this bad or this many and I had a nasty feeling that there were more to come. **

"**And you see how the bone with the hawthorn root crosses it. It means someone who you have felt betrayed by before has yet more pain to inflict.****"**** I leaned forward to get a better view of the bones she was indicating to. **

"**Then this jumble of bones here...****"**** Angela continued ****"****This is what I was having trouble to translate. But I think that it means many do not know of your significance in life and your importance and are unsure of what you will become no one more than yourself. However you know what it best for yourself and the people of this world and have a brave and noble soul that is destined for greatness but when you think you have finally reached what you have always aspired for in life it will be torn away from you and you will have to start all over again.****"**

"**No baggage then...****"**** I breathed jokily, as if I was trying to deny my own fate. Angela ignored me and continued her prediction. **

"**The bone with the image of the road here indicates that you will always be travelling and will never have a place to truly call home, all that was left behind you when you started your quest. This quest will take you to leave Alagaesia forever as shown by this bone here resting on the prow of this sailing ship****"**

"**Are you done yet?****"**** I asked hoping that she had finished. I didn****'****t want to know much more.**

"**One more thing****"**** She said and she looked up at me with a smile. Her hand moved to point to the bone that was resting nearest me then she indicated to the tiny inscription on its side. I leaned closer to get a better look at it. It was a tiny carving of a rose placed in someone****'****s outstretched palm. **

"**This bone here foretells me that in your future you will fall in love with someone strong and of immense power and he shall love you in return and your passion is strong enough to withstand empires. I do not know how it will end but it will change your life in many ways.****"**

**The last one gave me the biggest shock. Me. Love? I personally could not see that. I was more fridged then a giraffe at the north pole.**

"**I really cannot see that happening to me. The other stuff maybe but not that!****"**

"**The bones have never lied****"**** Angela said simply ****"****You may change who you are on this journey of yours. I am curious to how you will turn out but I shall never know. Try not to dwell on it too much it will make you head hurt****"**** She smiled.**

"**Yea...****"**** I muttered uncertainly taking her advice and trying to use it but I wasn****'****t that successful. I was going to fall in love with someone. AND IT WASN****'****T BECKER!!! Actually it could be... Rrrrrrr... Bad Evie! Dirty thoughts!**

"**Thank you!****"**** I smiled at Angela politely ****"****I think...!****"**** I stood up shakily and picked up my things from where I had dumped them carelessly on the ground beside me then walked hurriedly from the tent. Out side the midday sun had increased to sweltering temperatures and I had to squint through the brightness as I tried to push all of the worrying thoughts from my mind. I found my way back to the town gates, just about. Several times I crashed clumsily into people or objects because I was off in a world of my own. I desperately tried not to think about it but it was difficult. I was going to be hurt by someone who had already betrayed me, well no-one had betrayed me yet in Alagaesia so another person must be coming from earth. Great. My life really is going to shit. I was going to live for a very long time but my death was also swiftly approaching. How did that work? And I would always be travelling. Did that mean that I would never find my way home? What else? I was unsure of myself. Well she certainly got that right! And I apparently was going to fall in love!! Angela was right, all that thinking really was making my head hurt. Or was it just the fact that I had been standing around in the sun too long and had gotten dehydrated. That was a plausible explanation. I made my way underneath the giant portcullis and padded along the dusty road, trying to avoid the deep ruts because I was very prone to twisting my ankle. I still somehow managed to anyway and I hopped most of the way back to where I had left Nightfire and my dragon. I was pleased to find that they were both still there and the little dragon had managed to keep himself out of trouble. I placed all of my purchases onto a boulder by the edge of the sunny clearing and went over to loosen Nightfire****'****s tether so he could roam more freely, reaching the un-trampled grass. I stroked his silky black coat for a few minutes as I watched the little dragon scamper through the undergrowth. I knew I hadn****'****t given him a name yet but it turned out naming a dragon was one of the most difficult things I had ever done and I think that he was still a bit too young to help me make my choice. I wanted him to be happy with his name after all. I decided to get out of my dress so I found a secluded patch in between some leafy bushes and changed into my new clothes. I strapped the dagger in its small sheath to my belt for easy accessibility. I was about to chuck the dress away when I thought the better of it. The material might come in useful at some time or another. I scrunched it into a ball and forced it into my tiny pack that I put back with my other things. As I was looking around the clearing again I suddenly realised that the dragon wasn****'****t there. I became increasingly anxious and I ran into the trees where I had last seen him. I reached out with my mind and found his consciousness inspecting some strange object.**

_**Where are you?! **_**I demanded more anxious than angry. I ran through the trees, stumbling over rocks as they protruded from the soft green turf.**

_**Evie... **_**He cooed. **

_**Where are you?! **_**I asked again.**

_**Water... **_**He said and I heard a gentle splash in the distance. Normally I would have been overjoyed at his first word that wasn****'****t my name but right now I was too worried. Water?! Of course the lake! I started to pant as the hot weather got to me and no doubt I had seriously bad sweat patches soon as they hadn****'****t invented deodorant here yet. Suddenly all of the trees stopped and I found my self looking out across the shore of a vast lake, bigger than any I had ever seen, it stretched on for miles and miles all the way almost to the horizon where I could just spy a bit of land underneath the cloudless azure sky. The lake was so big that gentle waves sloshed at the shore and there was gritty sand underneath my shoes. I laughed as I spotted the dragon splashing around in the shallows then he dived underneath the surface of the clear water and swam along like a sea serpent. I kicked off my shoes and ran to join him, ignoring the fact that I had brand new clothes on and I would have to wait for hours before I dried out. I waded into the shallows, naturally falling flat on my face into the water because I was going to fast and my body went faster than my legs. The water came as a refreshing cold blast as I fell into it and I felt it washing the dirt from my limbs. I don****'****t know how long we stayed there but I didn****'****t want it to end, our mood was just so carefree and it was like I didn****'****t have a worry in the world; that I didn****'****t just have my fortune told to reveal my future as full of pain and I would never settle down to live a happy life ever again. Being right here right now I couldn****'****t ever imagine myself leaving this place. The dragon came up above the surface again with a screech and flapped one of his wings against the water, spraying me which I didn****'****t really mind soon as I was already soaking. I laughed and I just about to splash him back when something several hundred meters away along the shore caught my eye. I froze and glanced up to see a person standing motionless looking at me. I never would have used to been able to see his beep brown eyes gazing back at me but now with my enhanced keener vision I saw them perfectly, their depths dark and enticing under the light of the sun. He had a mop of rough brown hair and strangely refined features and right now BECKER HAS JUST GONE OUT OF THE FLAMING WINDOW! Suddenly the seriousness of the situation hit me. Never mind how darned fit he was I needed to go. I knew he had seen the dragon and me. I reached down and grabbed the dragon round the chest lifting him from the water, the droplets gleaming in the sunlight as they fell from his emerald scales back into the water where they sent ripples racing across the surface. He was heavy now. Very heavy I struggled under the weight and I turned and ran as fast as I could back out of the shallows up the gritty shores to the tree line. Then I ran into something, partially I will admit because I was trying to get one last look at the mysterious exceedingly handsome guy. It was big and blue and the weight of my dragon caused me to sway off balance and I fell to the ground and I was about to get up and run again when a huge taloned paw pressed itself to my chest and I opened my eyes to see the face of a huge blue Dragon hunched over and peering at me with a mixture of curiosity and happiness in its wise dark eyes. Only then did I realise quite whom I had encountered as Saphira gazed back at me and the guy who I now realised was Eragon appeared at her side. **

**don't worry, eragon maybe fit to her, but I advised evie against having her fall in love with him. He still loves arya!**

**Reviews? *holds out polystyrene cup and looks up with big, shiny, begging eyes***


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh, god. Just to let you guys know. This chapter is not for the faint hearted. I wrote it, so there is no hint of… ummm… you guys don't really want to make me say it, do you? Anyway, I think you get the picture. **

**Warning--- severe angst ahead, and please don't kill me, im just the vessel!!! Like I said before, if you cry when someone squashes a bug cause 'it was annoying them' do NOT read it!!!**

The days flew by quickly and I was more relaxed than I had been the last few days. My worry for evie slowly ebbed away, though it was never completely gone and sometimes in the middle of the night I would feel a sudden wave of guilt that I had almost forgotten her. Each day we spent at least a little time in that same river to cool down. The weather was still sunny as it had been for the last few days. The summer had really kicked in now and for that I was glad. In England it was never really sunny. We still stayed with ruby, but on the tenth day something finally happened.

Everyone had know Nasuada would eventually call for us and when two of her soldiers had knocked on ruby's door it hadn't been a surprise. At the castle Nasuada had welcomed us kindly and asked us if our accomadation was for our liking, at witch we had all nodded happily. It really WAS like one massive sleepover.

"I have called you here to tell you that we had a message from a friend of ours, a witch named Angela. She has told us that someone stumbled into her a little while ago. A girl named Evie. A human. She had long blond slightly curly hair and was tall. The woman said she looked like she had 'ridden across a desert' as her hair had sand in and her lips were chapped. Do you think this could be your friend evie?" I stood there, to shocked to say anything as I quietly processed what the woman had said.

"umm… probably" was the extent of my excellent vocab.

"good. I ordered Eragon to try and find her. He should contact ,me soon to tell me his status. That's all, I just wanted you to know. I will send for you as soon as hear from him. Is that okay?" she asked.

"yes. thank you." and I had meant it, to. It told me that Evie was safe from Murtagh and his king, if only for a little while. We all left quickly and suddenly the day seemed to be going slower than usual and I wanted the days to go quickly. All I wanted was for evie to come back. But of course instead I fixed a fake but believable smile on my face so no-one would know I was really terrified as hell. I strode quickly back towards Ruby's house, then thought better of it and turned to my friends.

"I'm just going to go for a walk. Is that okay? Y'all can go back to Ruby's, I just wanna be alone for a while." they all nodded absentmindedly, and I wandered if they had even heard me and go after me anyway or not but when I walked off towards the trees they all carried on going. But I never did get to the trees as I stopped as I heard swords clashing and arrows hitting targets a few streets along. I turned off and followed the noise until I found a huge arena with wooden staked around that I hadn't even noticed before. I slowly walked through the gap in the wood as I took in my surrioundings. In one end were targets and many people, humans and dwarfs alike, taking up positions opposite them. Some were standing close to the target, others halfway back. I hadn't practised shooting for a while. Pretending to be human was great in theory but I was so much stronger than them, so I couldn't really practise without drawing attention to myself. The rest of the arena was just an empty space, with a stack of spare weapons at the side. This space was for fighting. The dwarfs using there respected war hammers and most humans using swords.

"haven't been here before, huh?" someone asked from behind me.

"no, I onl- what?!?" I had thought it was just someone trying to make small talk with me, until I realized who's voice it was and spun on the spot quicker than the human eye could have seen. "arya?" I asked incredulously. I hadn't thought she had liked me, but you never really can tell what people are thinking, especially elf's.

"I was hoping I would see you here soon. These weapons are made for humans and dwarfs in mind. I had a special bow, some arrows and a sword all made for you. There over here." she told me before walking to the stack of weapons and I noticed a separate stack from the rest. She reached down and picked them up before handing me them. I took the quiver complete with arrows and bow in one hand and the sward in a leather scabbard that you could tie round your waist in the other. I looked at the bow first. The way it was crafted was beautiful and I could tell that an elf had sung it from a tree somewhere in the surrounding forest, probably arya herself as I hadn't seen another elf around yet. The bow had a carved handle, depicting forests, deer and other woodland animals. It was beautiful. The arrows all had peacock feathers on with just as smooth wooden shafts. I gazed at them for a moment before passing them back to her and turning my attention to the sword in my left hand. I took the jewel encrusted pommel and pulled it from the scabbard with a metallic _shink _before studdying the sharp sword carefully. It glimmered slightly in the sun and flashed as I weighed it in my hands. The sword was perfectly balanced and just the right shape and size for me to use. I whipped it in front of me, seeing the way it cut through the air.

"thank you," I told her, itching to use my knew weapons.

"bow first? I'll go if you do." she tempted me and I nodded happily before taking back my bow happily and walking over to two targets next to each other not yet in use. She picked up her own weapons and followed. We both stood twice as far back as the humans and I dropped my sword in the dust before turning to face the target. I put the quiver on my back and threaded the string onto the bow, pulling it taught. Then I took the first arrow, fitting it into the bow with a practised movement you can't forget no matter how long its been. I drew back my arm and focused on the centre point that I could see even from back here because of my greatly improved sight. I was glad I had worn my green leather gloves now, as I needed to let go of the string as quick as possible. I let it go and heard a _thwang _as it propelled the arrow forward and seconds later a deep _thud _as it hit the target. The sound was echoed next to me as arya also took shot. I walked forward with quick strides arriving at the target quickly to find the arrow buried up to the feather in the middle point. I smiled to myself as arya came and stood behind and slightly to the side of me. I turned slightly to look where her arrow had gone, to find it also in the exact centre almost as deeply as mine.

"good shot." she told me.

"you to." I answered as I went to pull the arrow out of the board. I put the arrow back in the quiver and untied the string whilst o walked over to where I had left the sword. I tied it round my waist with the belt it was attached to before turning to arya.

"I had better get back, my friends will be wondering where I am." I told her. She nodded and I happily left the sound of clashing metal behind me as I walked back to ruby's place.

I was deep in thought as I knocked on the door, still thinking about my new items, so I had forgotten to reconstruct my fake smile as someone opened the door. I looked at scoble with haunted eyes and she took a step back. I pushed past her and went straight to the room, making a bee-line for where my MP3 was stashed. The good think about having witches as friends, they can charge up electrical items when we have no electricity. I grabbed it and went back into the lounge before sitting in one of the armchairs, but not before pulling off my quiver and scabbard and putting it on the floor beside me with my bow which I had carried the whole way here. Then I drew my knees up to my chest and hugging them, then turning my music on, changing it to 'skillet' and turning it up loud enough to drown out all other sound then resting my head on my knees and closing my eyes, focusing on the music. I hadn't even realived till I was walking back what the date was. July the twenty fifth, the anniversary of my mothers death, the reason I had first gone through the anomaly and away from Alagasia. After a while I felt someone gently shake my shoulder. I looked up to see everyone around me, looking concerned. I turned my music off and took the headphones out of my ears before looking round the group.

"are you ok?" scoble asked and I nodded slightly, still thinking of my mother, of what memories I still had of her. That was when an unwanted memory snuck up on me, and suddenly I wasn't in sat in an armchair surrounded by friends.

"_please, have mercy. I don't know anything!" my mother shouted from where she was slumped in a chair, chained to it. _

"_mercy!" the king sneered in her face as she looked up through her long white hair, stark against the surroundings. A dark room, lit by a few candles dotted on the wall. I hid in the shadows, having used my limited magic to sneak in. even my mother didn't know I was here. _

"_of course you know where the egg is, you're an elf!" he hissed at her, as if that meant anything. My mother screamed again and I felt her terror, her pain. A deep cutting pain in her mind. She slumped over again and I tried to help her, absorbing some of her pain and burying deep in my mind, trying not to think about it. _

"_ready the daggers. If she doesn't speak, she dies. If she does, she dies anyway." he told one of the guards as I pressed myself against the wall and he swept from the room, his cloak billowing out behind him. I had stayed up all night, waiting, wishing I had stayed when father had told me to. Yet I couldn't look away, couldn't run. I couldn't leave my mother like this, even if I knew she would die. The best I could do was ease her suffering slightly and send her images, letting her know I was here for her even when no-one else was. It was just beginning to go light outside when the king came back. The guards had brought in a tray with daggers on, dripping with some sort of foul smelling substance, hours ago. He yanked on mothers hair so she was looking at him even if she didn't want to. She hadn't slept either, obsorbing every image I had sent her. I had stopped now, though, as the king might notice. _

"_do you know what this is?" he asked, picking up a dagger from the tray and waving it under her nose. _

"_no," she whispered brokenly. He smiled evilly _

"_oh, I think you do," he said._

"_no… no, it cant be…" she whispered to him. "no…" he let go of her hair and instead to hold of her arm. I knew what was coming next but still I couldn't look away. Slowly he brought the dagger down on her arm, slicing it deep. Again she screamed, only this time she didn't stop. Not when he left the room, not when the guards took the tray away and not even when I tried to calm her. They only stopped when she couldn't scream anymore, when she had made her throat hoarse and started coughing up blood. And still I had watched, as her breaths became rough, when her nose had started bleeding and finally when her eyes had slowly drifted close. Then I had clocked myself as best I could and walked shakily out of the castle and the city, leaving behind my dead mother and the man who called himself king. _

"LANA!" someone screeched near my ear and I grimaced, leaning away from the noise. I blinked a few times trying, unsuccessfully, to clear my vision and looking round the room. Only the room was just blobs of colours different shapes and sizes, blurring at the edge of my vision and merging into one another.

"can't see…" I muttered as I reached out one shaky hand slowly. Someone grasped it tightly.

"its ok, we'll sort this out. What happened?" I knew that voice, it was… scoble. And I was in ruby's house, with my other friends surrounding me. Now I remembered. Panic was taking hold as the blobs of colours slowly faded to nothingness.

"don't matter, can I go sleep?" I asked quietly, franticly trying to figure out what was happening. Someone shifted off to my right.

"sure. Caitlain, go take her will you? wouldn't wan her to walk into any walls." scoble joked and laughed worriedly, not quite pulling it off.

"sure, sure" Caitlain said as someone grasped my arm, pulling me off the chair I had been huddled on. Caitlain kept hold of me as she pulled me in what I'm guessing was the right direction. I trailed my free hand along the walls as I walked and soon Caitlain had opened a door in front of us and we walked forward. She stopped and I reached forward and down, felling the only matress in the room under my hand.

"thanks," I told her before clambering onto it and curling into a ball. I heard material swish and a door close, shutting out the sound of murmuring. I didn't sleep, instead I closed my eyes, noting it didn't really make a difference and cried silently.

The next morning I was shaken awake gently and as I opened my eyes to look up at the person I worriedly noticed I could no longer see at all, that I was suspended constantly in darkness.

"morning," I said quietly, hoping that they weren't angry at me.

"hey, you ok now?" never before had I been so happy to here Megan's voice.

"where is everyone?" I asked her, not hearing mummers or anyone moving

"take that as a no." she said. "still cant see, marmalade?" she asked, using my old nickname. I sighed.

"not yet."

**I really want to know what difrent ways everyone reading this has come up with to kill me, so write a review and tell me EXACTLY how your gunna kill me, so I can run in the opposite direction. Please note im not personally blind and have no idea why I wrote that in the story, just know there is a reason and that some big powerfully entity wanted it that way [that or my personal and very annoying muse] oh, another note. The other author [the very annoying one that wont tell me what is going to happen in my own, half anyway, story] reviewed, so ya might wanna take a look!!!**


	23. Chapter 23

I was too shocked to say anything and it seemed like everyone else was too. It was Eragon who finally broke the silence.

"Let her go Saphira" He said simply. He perceptibly spoke out loud for my benefit as he could have just told her with his mind but he obviously thought I was no threat. Saphira tentatively removed her large armoured paw from my chest and drew back as I took a deep breath and slowly sat upright on the hard ground. "You weren't hard to find" Eragon said, now addressing me. "Which shows that you are going to need training and your dragon is obviously no more than a few days old" I felt like saying. '_Well done for stating the perfectly obvious!' _But I decided to be easy on him. It was obvious that he was new to the whole teaching and generally being in charge thing.

"We need to return to the Varden quickly as so you can undergo your training" He carried on and he came over and offered me his hand. I uncertainly placed my hand in his and with one swift graceful movement he pulled me upright. All of a sudden his grip tightened on my wrist and he flicked it round, exposing my bare palm and with it my Gedwey ignasia, its silvery sheen sparkling in the dappled light which filtered through the tree canopies.

"Just checking" He smiled at me. I felt an awing wonder pouring into me and I looked to the side to see my dragon gazing up in wonder at Saphira who stared back expressionless then suddenly she moved her gaze to meet mine. I stayed motionless for several seconds as she seemed to examine me with excruciating meticulousness. I found myself wondering what was she thinking and as if she read my thoughts she replied.

'_I am wondering why you were chosen by a noble dragon. You seem exceedingly inexperienced but you have a brave and just heart and a slightly reckless way of thinking which means you have the potential to be something great. I can feel that your destiny is entwined with mine. But we must make haste, the road is a short and arduous one before the time of the great battle and so much must be accomplished before then, especially for you and him. For this reason I will fly you to the Varden faster then I have ever flown before, you have meetings to attend and acquaintances to make. Though I am curious as to what your names are'_

'_Evie…' _I said timidly _'He is yet to choose his' _I inclined my head in the direction of my Dragon at my side.

'_So be it' _She said _'Climb on my back and we shall be on our way' _She drew away from my mind and directed herself at Eragon again. They obviously exchanged various pieces of information as he nodded and then Saphira knelt to the ground and I climbed on using her foreleg and the saddle straps. My dragon hesitantly clambered up beside me and curled himself around the pommel of the saddle which was large and lavishly decorated, built for comfort on long journeys. Eragon had no problem sitting in it behind me and he secured mine and his legs with the straps. Saphira patiently waited as we got ourselves into place than she padded out from underneath the tree cover so she was on the lake shore then it only took two of her powerful wing beats to get us into the air. She swopped over the lake. The pressure of the air as it rushed out from underneath her wings causing slight waves on the lakes surface and before I knew it we were in the sky. The air grew colder but not to an unpleasant temperature and the slight breeze which had been down below had now grown to a steady draught which whipped my long hair out behind me. I couldn't help but smile, flying on a dragon just felt so right and you felt totally and utterly free. Now I was in the company of Eragon and Saphira instead of Murtagh and Thorn I was more relaxed and able to enjoy myself. The hours simply swept by and Saphira did really mean what she said about flying faster then she had ever flown before. The ground going past underneath was no more than a smeared blur. I got talking with Eragon and occasionally Saphira participated in the conversation with my dragon chipping a couple of the words he knew every now and again. I don't know how for we travelled that day, only about an hour after it fell dark soon as I couldn't see anything I fell asleep in the saddle with my dragon curled in my lap (he was getting slightly too big now) and Saphira flew on through the night. I knew that Eragon could go for days without sleeping and he had adopted from the elves the ability to sleep in a trance like state where you couldn't really tell that he was partially asleep, he just permanently looked awake. As soon as I awoke he whispered in my ear

"We're nearly there" And I watched as Saphira began her gradual descent down towards the Varden.

**Sorry it was so short but Evie didn't know what she was going to write. **

**don't forget to review!**


	24. Chapter 24

I was first to hear the distant loud ringing noise. My already enhanced hearing had somehow gotten even better with the loss of sight. The down side was, obviously, that I couldn't see, but also that my other abilities were also enhanced. That included being able to sense how others around me were feeling. Yet at the same time that had an upside. Not being able to see anyones face meant that I listened more to the tone of there voice and that meant no-one could lie to me. I hadn't been out of the house in the days since 'it' had happened, and nobody had been able to get me tell them about what I had been thinking about either, I didn't want anyone else to have to suffer knowing what I did.

I looked round at the noise, still not quite used to the fact I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway, and listened harder. Which was what I shouldn't have done. Moments later the loud steady high pitched thrumming reached us properly and I gasped, only just stopping myself from sticking my fingers in my ears as I shut off my senses as best I could.

"what is that?" megan asked as I felt ruby move from next to me and heard footsteps that I presumed were hers just over the noise as she walked quickly in the direction of the door outside. Everyone followed, megan grabbing me and steering me towards the door to. She had appointed herself 'my little helper' over the past few days and had hovered around me non stop, not leatting anyone else help me. I didn't mind. I knew I needed the help, but it still made me feel helpless, though I was getting used to it. She opened the door and we stepped into the street. I could hear people rushing around, and some knocked against me muttering a quick sorry and not even noticing I was blind. The ringing had stopped now and instead a message was blearing out of what I presumed were speakers. _-is coming, I repeat eragon is coming. If you look up to the skies you might be able to see saphire in the is also a call for 'friends of evie'. they are asked to go to the market square to meet our leader. This is also where eragon will be landing shortly… _I was no longer listening to the announcement, instead megan was pulling me in the right direction again, bumping into passers by. When we finally stopped I was as good as lost, having no idea where I was or where anyone else was.

"its ok lana, were all here." I heard megan tell me quietly. " heres Nasuada now." she said from next to me, keeping a firm grip on my arm.

"thank you for coming so quickly. Eragon sent a message ahead of his arrival telling us he would be arriving here shortly, and that he had found your friend." she said quickly, sounding slightly rushed. "please could you step to the side so that he can land?" she asked and megan quickly pulled me off to the side. "thank you." she said.

"how did he find her so quickly?" I found myself asking her. People shuffled around me.

"he said she isnot trained and had not covered her tracks. Lana, are you ok?" she asked, sounding conserned. I heard the sharp tapping of high heels on stone and the swish of fabric. Then a gasp in front of me.

"I'll be ok soon." I said, dropping my head and wishing I hadn't spoken up.

"are you sure?" she sounded woried now, she actually cared about me.

"I'll be fine." I told her, sounding more sure of myself this time. I tilted my head then, listening to the sound of distant wing beats. "are they almost here?" I asked to no-one in particular.

"they'll be a few minutes yet," ruby said. I was hit by a sudden wave of longing. Longing to see evie again (though I knew I wouldn't actually be able to see her) ,to make sure she was okay and to know that she had forgiven us for leaving her behind. But I simpy shut it out and concentrated on the other sounds around me. But I just couldn't focus. I could hear each individual wing beat now, they no longer blended into one another, and I could feel a slight breeze stirring the hot still air. I welcomed it, not used to the heat, especially after being indoors for so many days. People whispered around me, but I couldn't pick out one voice from the masses. Then the wid was on my face, directly in front of me. I heard a snort, felt it shake the ground slightly, and the air suddenly grew still and silent. I heard someone land heavily off to my right side and another a little way behind, much lighter and agile.

"EVIE!" megan, Caitlain and scoble screeched in sync, and I longed to as well, but I couldn't see her. I felt, megan pull away from me, I presumed to run up to evie, and another hand took its place.

"guess you can tell evie's here. Come on, lets go and say hi." a voice said, and I reconised it an instant later. It was nasuada. I could tell she was no longer angry with me. Maybe it was the fact that I was helpless or maybe it was simply that she didn't hold a grudge, but whatever the reason I was thankful. Nasuada guided me forward and I heard people shuffle around us. No-one bumped into us as we went, and I presumed it was because everyone was moving aside for their leader. I felt exposed, out in the open with so many people so obviously watching me, but that was soon forgotten when someone hugged me tightly. She was slightly smaller than I remembered, but I could still reconise who it was instantly. Evie.

"oh my god, lana, what happened?!?" evie half screeched when she pulled back from the hug that had lasted longer than usual. And now I knew that it was finally time to tell everyone what had happened all hose years ago.

"I'll tell you when we get back to ruby's. did you have a nice trip?" I asked, trying desperately to lighten the mood.

"rubys?" she asked and I laughed slightly at the worried tone of voice.

"yeah, turns out shes half dwarf!" I said happily. Just then there was a loud _POP! _in the air and some people gasped around me.

"shit." was all evie could say, leaving me confused about what exactly had just happened.

**All will be revealed in the next chapter, I swear! Oh, please note. Evie has just got her internet working again and the next chapter should be up soon. She got writers block halfway through so I had to write a bit of it, its really funny so far!**


	25. Chapter 25

I stood horrified as hundreds of members of the Varden gazed questioningly at the gem-incrusted crown that had suddenly appeared on top of my head. God damn it! I was so ignorant! I must have accidentally let it slip from my bag as I was rummaging though it on our flight. I snatched it from where it was perched delicately on my knotty hair and hid it in between me and Lana before anyone else saw. I felt the metal digging into my palms as I squeezed it with my trembling hands, desperately willing to crush it to the size of a walnut. Where was Becker when you needed him?! People had already seen though and I heard the rumours that swept through the ever-gathering crowd.

"Did you see that?" Someone muttered

"What happened?!" An urgent and inquisitive voice asked.

"A crown appeared on top of her head!" Somebody else whispered.

"Why on earth did it happen?!"

"ENOUGH!" Nasuada bellowed. "I would like to see our new rider in private!" She said to me. "Bring your friends also and Eragon, you come too" My dragon pushed his way through the throng of people, impervious to the mass of people. They all gave him a wide berth and soon he was at my side and I gripped Lana's wrist as Megan led her in between the people and over to the castle which I could see looming in the centre of the overtaken city. A mob of guards subjugated the pressing crowd and used themselves to create a wall between us and the mass of people. Nasuada led the way up the street then under the castle portcullis. Her long scarlet dress billowed out behind her as she led the way, walking with an air of priority and her back straight. The way I guessed Gertrude had wished that I would someday walk. Pfffffffffft! My thoughts strayed back to her as we walked hurriedly across the castle courtyard and I wondered where she was right now. Well wherever she was I hoped she had a massive seriously swollen nose from where I had buffeted her one with the tray, god how I loathed that woman. I looked back over my shoulder at the swelling crowd that was held back at the castle gates by the guards. I then gazed down at my dragon who was padding along by my side. He was growing everyday and so was his vocabulary. He was a long from head to tail as a fully-grown man laid out on the ground. Hopefully soon we could turn to the subject of choosing him a name. The stray thoughts were instantly wiped from my mind as the dark shadow of the castles interior swept over us as we passed through it large double doors. Inside the castle was dark but it had a more friendly feeling to it than Galbatorix's black palace. The stone was grey instead of black and more windows cast the late morning sunshine onto the marble floor and empty suits of armour stood as decoration in the corners bearing the suit of arms of Feinister. We ascended a grand stone staircase which partway up' split in two going off in either direction to opposite wings of the castle. Nasuada led us to the right then along until we were in front of an aged looking oak door with a brass handle. She turned to the guards and told them to wait outside to prevent unwanted listening in before she turned and led the way inside. Her office looked as if it had been previously used as the library as shelves upon shelves of book lined the wall in intricately carved oak book cases with ladders in sliding rails to help you reach the top shelf that was way from reach for any man. She went over and sat on a grand oak chair behind a desk that was piled with rolls of parchment and bottles of ink and quills. A large map was unrolled in front of her across the jumbled tabletop weighed down at the corners with ornate glass paperweights. It was obviously what she had been inspecting before I made my unexpected appearance. It depicted what I recognized the southern half of the empire except illustrated in much more detail then my derisory one torn from the front of an Eragon book. Nasuada sat with her back straight and her hands placed formally in her lap as Eragon went and stood by her rights hand side. I felt the knot of anxiousness twist in my stomach as I thought about the incident with my crown and just how many questions that had risen. I herd a cry of protest from one of the many formations of guards outside as Saphira squeezed her way as far into the castle as possible so she didn't feel left out. My dragon lay down on the floor by my feet and arched his neck so he could get a good view of Nasuada and Eragon as the conversation started.

"So…" Nasuada started, clearly addressing me. "Eragon tells me that your mane is Eve"

"Evie" I corrected automatically then hastily added "Ma'am" out of respect. Nasuada nodded and smiled.

"Evie" She said. "I hope you don't mind but before we proceed further, I have asked Eragon to make you vow that you are not in anyway assisting Galbatorix and you will never aid him in his corrupted acts in the future."

"That's fine!" I smiled and at that Eragon strode over to me and I swore an oath in the ancient language, most of which I didn't understand I just repeated what he told me to say.

"Good!" Nasuada said as Eragon stepped back. "Now we may proceed with our acquaintances. As you probably know I am Nasuada, leader of the Varden, daughter of Ajihad. We here fight for the freedom of every man women and child in Alagaesia and we fight against Galbatorix and his collaborator Murtagh and the darkness they bring to this land."

For some reason when she said Murtagh's name my stomach seemed to do a back flip inside of me. All of the people here thought he was purely evil when he wasn't. I knew that. He was a good person who bad things had happened to. Forced into obeying things that he didn't believe in but he simply wasn't strong enough to fight Galbatorix.

"The elves, dwarves and urgals assist us in our struggle against them and now I hope that you will too" Nasuada said.

"That is why I came ma'am"

"I thought so!" She smiled kindly "You have a kind and brave soul but you will need a lot of training to get to the stage that Eragon is at now and you have little time to accomplish that great feat so may you start your training as quickly as possible. Our mages in the du vrangr gata, the elves and of course Eragon will help you and I expect you to try your best in return."

I just nodded in agreement and let her continue.

"But first I am curious as to what sequence of events led you here and where you came from of course"

So me being me of course, great at lying (apart from when its god dammit hilarious) and amazing at story telling made just about all of it up. I said that I had been a maid in the kings castle along with Scoble, Megan and Caitlain when I had accidentally strayed into the room with the dragon eggs, one hatched for me then we escaped, rescuing Lana who was being held captive by Galbatorix and I got separated from the group when we encountered a large battalion of guards and I got left behind. Then got picked up by Eragon and coming to the Varden. (Well she wouldn't have believed that I was kidnapped through a hole in time and space by Murtagh from my now seemingly cosy and relaxed science lesson then just about all of my best friends turned out to be alien freaks then I was kidnapped again by some lunatic who thought he was my father and forced into a corset and finally to top it all of a dragon had hatched for me. I mean no offence but what the hell was he thinking?!)

_You good person, better then you think. _I was surprised as my dragon suddenly spoke from beside me and slightly shocked at his use of words but I guessed he was learning at an exceptional rate, just by listening to other people talking.

"Interesting…" Nasuada murmured "That still doesn't explain the crown"

I seriously hoped she had forgotten but it turned out she hadn't.

"Ah yes that…" I stammered. I said the first thing that came into my head "Practical joke gone wrong…" Nasuada raised her eyebrows evidently awaiting an explanation.

"My friend was a witch and it just kind of yea…" I trailed off. "I normally keep it as a ball in my pocket but if I lose it, it appears back on my head as a crown."

"How did you crush it into a ball?" Nasuada said obviously finding flaws in my explanation.

"Ummm… Got an elephant to sit on it"

"What's an elephant?!"

"An African land mammal…"

"Where's Africa?"

Fuck…

---------------------------------------------------

"umm… well I and then, umm…."

Goddamn it! How am I supposed to answer that!

"its, umm…"

Oh god! Someone help me!

"its okay, Evie." Lana interrupted. I looked over to see her gripping Megan's arm tightly. "she already knows about the whole portal-to-another-world-thing." Lana said and I only just managed to contain a sigh.

"but that means, and then, the whole," my brilliant phrasing kicked in.

"yes, that was a very interesting tale you wove, Evie. And its nice to know how good of a liar you are for if you are captured." Nasuada said and I turned to her. Busted!

"so, tell me again, and truthfully this time, how did you squash your 'fake crown' into a ball?" she asked and there was only one way to answer that question.

"superman."

And with that, everyone burst out laughing, including both Lana and myself. Though apparently Nasuada and Eragon hadn't heard of superman either.

**Hope that was at least a little funny after last few chapters. Where there is a random line is where evie managed to write her self a block and I had to help her out. Do you see how? She doesn't have all the other chapters on her computer, so, yeah…**

**Review!**


	26. Chapter 26

After evie had finished explaining who superman was to nasuada we all went back to ruby's house. We all got food and sat in the lounge, and that was when the questions started.

"lana?" she asked and I nodded in the direction of her voice.

"hmm?"

"so, we're at ruby's, and you were going to tell me what happened?" she asked and I could hear her jiggling about, her emotions running wild.

"well, umm… I'm not really sure how I went blind, but I should probably start at the beginning." and so I told everyone of how I had had a happy life in ellesmira, living with my mother and father, training and playing with the few others my age. How life had been great until my mother had been taken by Galbatorix whilst on a hunt with a few others. How I had gone to the kings castle, snuck in unseen. Then watched as my mother had been tortured for information, editing pieces slightly and making it seem less traumatic than it had been at the time. At yet even when I spared them the details I could still feel everyone's sorrow, how they wished they cold wipe the new information from there minds and make me forget the terrible memories. And yet I knew that they couldn't, or rather they wouldn't. once I had finished we sat in silence for a while. Eventually the silence became almost deafening and I found for the first time in weeks I needed some air, needed to be away from everyone.

"you guys mind of I take a stroll?" I asked and felt everyone's eyes on me.

"what if you get lost, what will you do?" megan asked in a worried tone.

"I CAN sense other things around me, you know." I told her, mildly cross.

"okay. Be back soon, though." Caitlain said in a soft voice and I nodded.

"alright." I said before getting up and extending my sense around me so that I could find my way to the door with out walking into a wall or other objects. Once outside I took a deep breath before heading in the direction of the forest. I could tell a few people were curious, that they already knew I couldn't see and were contemplating going over to help me find my way around, but when I managed to navigate around any objects that were in my path they thought better and left me well enough alone. I had soon made my way to the forest and once there I ventured only a little way further before sitting on a long since fallen log. There I simply breathed in the fresh air and tried to calm my thoughts.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Notes--- sorry about the whole 'bold' thing, I don't know why it did it. I have decided not to write in bold any more and hope it will stop being a pain.

Review!!


	27. Chapter 27

I slouched back in one of the many comfy chairs that were squeezed into the small living room and watched regrettably as Lana strode out of the door. I knew she would be alright after all I knew what she had said about sensing objects in her path was true but I was still worried about her, being blind and all. Even though she had explained it to us I was still a tad confused as to why she exactly was I mean people don't just go blind without a cause do they? Maybe elves were different. I pulled my mind away from the dwelling subject to another slightly stranger one. So Ruby was a dwarf now… Well half dwarf anyway. The world really didn't seem to be going upside down. I wondered how many other so called friends with a secret identity I would unexpectedly bump into in my quest in Alagaesia. Ah well I figured it just didn't make any sense so I dragged my self back to the present too expect Ruby's small house in greater detail. The kitchen and the sitting room were open plan and quite small to be honest. It was a miracle that all of them seemed to fit in here. All the chairs in the sitting room were congregated around an open fire rather than a television in the top of which sprouted a stout little chimney which carried the smoke up through the low roof. The floor was plain flagstone with a frayed patchwork rug in the centre and small glassless windows in the walls let the hectic noises of outside drift in along with the afternoon sunshine. My bulging pack lay on the floor beside my chair along with my bow and quiver from where I had dumped it earlier and I had given the rest of my supplies to Ruby. The kitchen consisted of a couple of wooden cabinets and counters with a stone basin to pour water into (I guessed there was no running water here) and a large range in which a fire was burning and there was a small pile of logs beside it stacked up against the kitchen wall.

"So Ruby…" I smiled "Long time no see!" She did her little shy smile, slightly hiding behind a lock of her dark hair which I recognized so well. "I never knew about your dwarven roots!" I continued, glancing over at her two brothers, who I guessed were pure dwarves because of their height, that I remembered her hating, though I had never met them as humans.

"Yea" She said "I kind of juggle two lives… It's a bit complicated!"

"I can see!" I replied with a grin "Don't worry I wont ask I'm confused enough as it is!"

"Would you like a drink?!" She offered suddenly and went to search in the cupboards for a glass tumbler.

"Yea ok…" I said suddenly realising how parched I was. I watched as she poured some water from a small earthenware jug into a cup she had found them came over and passed it to me.

"Thanks!" I smiled and I took a large swig and with no time at tall it was gone. I glance over at Scoble who was sat in one of the chairs opposite me and smiled. I heard Megan and Caitlain arguing in one of the bedrooms. I had now officially stopped trying to break up their petit squabbles as my efforts always turned out to be useless.

"You smell different" Scoble suddenly commented.

"What?!" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

"You smell different" She repeated.

"You're smelling me?!" I asked, slightly disturbed. "How, what, why!?"

"Wolfish instincts…" She said absent-mindedly "Something about you though… It's different!"

"Ummm… I'm a dragon rider maybe?!" I offered.

"Maybe…!" She said simply and turned her focus away from me and out of the window. It was obvious I wasn't going to get anything logical out of her now so I decided to leave it. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door causing all of our heads to snap round including my dragons.

"Who's that?!" I asked.

"Don't know…!" Ruby said "I'll have a look" and she made her way over towards the small oak door.

"Don't worry I'll get it!" I offered and I shot to my feet, the dragon hot on my heels and I yanked the door open. On the other side was a tall woman with locks of long billowing raven hair through which the tips of her pointed ears protruded she had and flaring green eyes. She wore a long elegantly curved blade at her waist and black riding breeches with a green shirt. She was so beautiful she made me want to crawl under Ruby's bed and cry my eyes out.

"Greetings Noble Dragon" She said in a rich exotically accented voice and bowed to my dragon who was peeking round the side of me. I noticed the way she addressed him first, but I knew it was that way in the elven culture. She straightened up and turned to address me.

"You are Evie?!" She guessed politely.

"Yes" I smiled and I suddenly realised who I was talking to.

"Greetings, I am Arya, the elves ambassador. I have come to show you and your dragon around if you would like it and to get you formally acquainted with the higher up people of the Varden. I will also be one of your trainers in the forthcoming weeks."

"Oh ok!" I said with a smile.

"I see you have a bow" She commented looking over my shoulder and into the house where it was lent against the armrest of the chair. "If you wish to keep it and not replace it with another weapon I would bring it now and any other weapons you might have"

"Sure!" I breathed and I jogged back over to the chair and picked up the bow and its quiver and I removed my small knife from where I had stashed it earlier in my pack and inserted it into its small sheath at my belt. Once I had retrieved it I hurried back over to the open door where Arya and my dragon were waiting and I stepped out of the house, shooting a fleeting smile at Ruby and Scoble before shutting it.

"Is Lana not here?!" She asked.

"No, she went for a walk to think things over nearly half an hour ago but I don't think she will be back for quite some time." I should have guessed that Arya and Lana would get along, them both being elves and all.

"Does not matter" Arya smiled "This way!" She gestured with one of the strong but delicate looking hands and set off down the street. I felt a streak of admiration through the connection with my dragon and I looked over to see him gazing up at Arya. At this I did feel slightly miffed and Arya walked with such grace I felt like a penguin walking next to her. She lead both me and him down through the streets and out of the domestic part of the city towards where I guessed was the arena and the training areas. Several people gave us odd and astounded stares, mainly I guessed because of the dragon. The buildings around us gradually transformed into armouries, weaponries and blacksmiths and before long we were faced with a large wooden wall from behind which the sound of yelling and metal clashing against metal drifted through the wooden planks.

"You of course…" Arya suddenly said "Will have somewhere a lot more private to train but for today, as I want to assess your skills we will do a short session in here"

I simply nodded, feeling butterflies rupture inside of me. This would be humiliating, Arya would totally thrash me. The only time I had ever even practiced the tiniest bit with sparring was when me and Megan had gone on a hack and stopped for a picnic and had found some old bits of plastic piping and we had fought for a tiny while but it hadn't gone exactly well and I was one hundred percent sure this wouldn't either. I warily followed Arya round to the entrance and we passed through the large wooden gates, momentarily sheltered from the hot sun before we were in the dusty arena.

"Follow me" She said and we walked over to underneath an overhanging eave by a row of weapons. Just when I thought she was going to toss me a sword she stopped and turned to face me.

"Show me your hands" She instructed.

"Why?" I asked warily holding them up towards her.

"I learned, from a friend of mine, how to find out many things about a person by simply inspecting their hands." She replied and I felt her gently grip my palms. I knew who she meant by her friend. Oromis. I had read the books so I knew but I wasn't going to tell her that, she would think I was insane. I also knew that Oromis was dead. He had died at Gilead in a battle against Murtagh. I had cried when I read it but unfortunately my French pen pal had been staying at my house and she thought that I was a complete and utter nutter. The memory bought a faint smile to my lips as Arya scrutinized the various faint calluses on my hands with her soft fingertips.

"Tell me…" She began. "You are very accustomed to using a pen and a paintbrush but you have never done such an extent of work like a maid that you have worn your skin dry. You barely ever use tools and as far as weapons you have often wielded a knife but are by far the most accustomed to a bow but you have pretty much never used a sword."

"That's about right!" I smiled.

"Thought so" and she let my hands drop back down to my sides. "I will not submit you to the embarrassment of wielding a sword against me now in front of this crowd but I am curious to see your extent of skill with a bow and knife." As she said that a huge sense of relief swelled up inside of me but I guessed I would still be subjected to it tomorrow when my proper training started.

"Dragon," Arya said, turning to him once more "Tomorrow you will begin your training with Saphira; I know your skills will be limited due to your youth but we all hope that you will try your best" My Dragon nodded his noble emerald head at her words before crouching in position to watch me with a bow. Me and Arya walked a couple of meters until we were standing in front of an unoccupied target I held my bow tightly in my left hand and swung the quiver round my back. As soon as I was in place Arya stepped back and gestured for me to commence. I slowly drew an arrow from the quiver and knocked it in place before drawing the bowstring back to my ear and taking aim. As I let the arrow loose the string created a sharp twang and then there was the sudden thudding noise of the arrow as it embedded itself in the target. Due to my previous practice with a bow and my now enhanced vision and sense of coordination after becoming a rider the arrow hit the bull's-eye. I looked over at Arya, not exactly sure what to expect, what I certainly didn't though was a round of applause, her face now was expressionless and her gaze hadn't strayed from the target where my arrow was still quivering in the small red section in the very middle. I continued in this way until I had ran out of arrows, all of them hit the bull's-eye but only one or two hitting the very near centre. Only then did Arya refer her attention back to me.

"You have a good shot" She said "Perhaps perfect if you were going to use one of our bows" By that I presumed she meant and elven bow that had been sung from a tree in the deepest part of du welden varden and the arrows fletched with immaculate white swan feathers. She strode over to the target and in one swift movement managed to un-lodge all of my arrows and she came over and passed them back to me. I inserted them back into my quiver.

"Try this…" She suggested and she went and collected the most elegant bow I had ever seen from over in a small room by the weapon racks. She passed it to me along with one single arrow, made out of the palest wood and fletched with white feathers. I put down my bow on the ground beside me and knocked the single arrow into the beautiful bow. Arya resumed her place a meter or two to the side as I drew back the string. I couldn't pull the bow back to its full extent as I guessed it was crafted for arms much stronger then mine, but it wouldn't really make a difference over this sort of distance. I took aim them released the string and watched as the perfectly aligned arrow buried itself in the dead centre of the target. I smiled and went over to inspect it myself. The arrow had gone in up to about half way up the shaft and I reckoned you couldn't get it any more exact if you got a ruler and measured it out.

"Thought so" Arya said, appearing beside me and she pulled the arrow out and took the bow before going to stash them back in the room.

"I see you have a knife" She said as she returned to me "Would you like to use that one or have it replaced for another?" I drew the dagger from its sheath at my waist and held it firmly in my grip. I liked it, it was small and for a knife it seemed to have character and also it seemed to be perfectly balanced in my hand.

"I think I like this one" I smiled as my fingers caressed it leather bound grip. The blade was also slightly curved, ideal for throwing. Arya moved back once more and I took aim. I had never had much practise with throwing daggers or knives, the most practice I had had been with a sharpened thick stick which's branch seemed to be ideally shaped like a pommel. But hopefully this would fly better as it was designed to be thrown. The was a swoosh in the air next to me as I threw it forward and the blade implanted itself in the ring one out from the bull's-eye. Not bad, I reasoned with myself.

"Perhaps you will need a tiny bit more practice in this area, a couple of tweaks to your technique and you shall be fine. But I see by far the things we most need to work on are sword play and magic. Magic has many complex areas, all of which you will need to familiarize yourself with especially the fields of mind defence and infiltration. If you ever get into a wizards duel, which I hope you don't, these will prove the most crucial." Suddenly she looked over my shoulder at something on the far side of the arena. I turned my head to see Eragon making his way under the wooden archway along with Saphira(who found it a bit difficult) and they strode across the dusty earth towards us. Me and Arya both remained motionless as they approached us. When they were only a couple of meters my dragon scampered over to greet Saphira except she let out a low rippling growl which seemed to dent his confidence somewhat and he stood back to let them pass.

_Treat her with respect _I said to him using our empathy link. _She is going to be your teacher as Eragon is going to be mine. _I felt his curiosity subside and he came over and stood by my side and I bowed my head in respect as Eragon and Saphira came to a halt in front of us.

"Evie" He said in a greeting and he inclined his head back. "Arya" And he inclined his head to her. I noticed the way he went slightly pink around the tips of his ears as he did so. I had to suppress my smile that was trying to make its way onto my face. I knew Eragon had a massive crush on her and Arya knew though she didn't exactly approve, much to Eragon's dismay. They stared at each other for several seconds and I guessed they were talking to each other through their minds. Eventually Eragon smiled and looked back at me again.

"I hear you are advanced with a bow and adequate with a dagger yet a mere beginner at swordsmanship."

"That's right" I nodded.

"If you are not yet familiar with your regime for training, Arya is going to train you in the physical areas and I in magic and the ancient language. In the mean time Saphira will educate the dragon in the areas he is capable to learn at the moment and as he grows his training will progress into more complex fields."

I simply nodded again and looked down at my dragon but he had eyes only for Saphira. Thinking about it, I didn't think he had actually blinked since she entered the arena. I gave a small smirk and looked back up at Eragon.

"I was thinking…" I began. "He needs a name and now he is old enough to choose for himself I was wondering if you knew any…?" I had read Eragon over and over and the only names I could remember from the book were Miremel, the name of a female dragon, Fundor, which I thought sounded like fondue and of course Saphira, Thron and Shruikan.

"Well…" Eragon said "A friend told me some along time ago when I was trying to choose a name for Saphira but I can only remember a meagre handful…" He furrowed his brow in thought for several moments before reciting, "Jura, Hirador and Fundor… Galzra, Briam, Ohen, Beroan, Roslarb. Those are all the male names I can remember. Do any of them seem suitable?"

"Possibly…" I replied, looking down at my dragon trying to think which one fitted him best.

"The two of you dwell on it over night" Arya said "Choosing a name is a difficult thing and requires a lot of thought. And get some rest, you will need it for tomorrow and the following days." Eragon looked at her as if he was idolizing every word of hers. I smiled gratefully at the both of them, then at Saphira and with some persuasion I managed to get my dragon to follow me out of the arena. He padded along by my side as we walked back along in between the forges and weaponries then through the neighbourhoods where the remaining citizens of Feinster lived and the new occupants from the Varden. It wasn't long before we were stood back outside Ruby's front door but I felt reluctant to go back into the cramped, stuffy house and I sensed that my dragon did too. I looked around to see the large city gates less then a couple of hundred meters away and I felt the familiar urge to explore the new landscape and I decided to set off down the dirt road towards the gates. I didn't know what time it was, I had to use the suns position in the sky to roughly estimate it. I guessed it was around late afternoon so that would give me a lot of time before the city gates shut. I jogged down the hard road and out of the gates, the guards on their posts didn't try to stop me and once I was on the other side I took a deep breath, breathing in the warm summery air that was alive with drifting dandelion seeds and walked off the beaten road up into a vast stretch of grass which rippled and swayed in the breeze as it brushed my outstretched fingertips. I looked behind me in the direction of my dragon, but he wasn't quite tall enough yet for me to see him over the tall grass stalks, all I could see was a path being rapidly flattened behind me and the grass making unnatural movements. I smiled in his direction and said

"Race you!" And I turned and bolted off through the grass, its tangled stems snaring my feet, hence making me fall over several times. I heard a high pitched yowl and turned to see the dragons head bobbing over the tops of the grass as he tried to catch up by jumping over the tops of the grass. My laughs were carried away in the faint wind as I turned and ran up a small incline until I was at the top and the grass cleared and I reached the tree line which stretched on for as far as the eye could see on either side. Panting, I sat down on a soft looking patch of ground, underneath the shadows of the overhanging braches of a gnarled oak tree and stared out at the beautiful landscape that seemed to unroll in front of me. Now the city gates were a mere smudge in the distance and I suddenly realised just how far we had run. The dried grass looked liked silken gold sheets as it rippled in the wind and a flock of migrating birds darted across the cloudless cerulean sky. I smiled at the dragon as he made his way out of the grass and came over and plonked himself on the ground beside me.

"You need a name" I said to him, speaking out loud as it felt right against the quiet calm of the landscape.

_I don't like any of the ones Eragon said… _He replied, the words drifting into my mind as if they were my own. Once again I was slightly shocked at how quickly his speech was improving.

"Not even Galzra?!" I asked I had been toying with that one on the way over here. It was the best of the lot but it still didn't seem quite right.

_I don't want to be named after and old dragon. _He said, gazing out at the open countryside before him.

"Well then what do you want me to do? Make one up?"

_I would like that… _

"Okay…" I breathed "Well you're a boy so its got to sound… manly… and you're green so… What about Raldor…" I said toying with the word emerald .

_No_

"Okay… so what about…" I paused again for thought. "Merald"

_No_

"Merlin?!?"

_NO! _

"Sorry uhhhh… Emlar… Elra… Elzar..?!" The last one I liked. "Elzar?!" I asked and looked down at him and he started humming. "Elzar!" I said again hoping that he would possibly like it.

_Yes… _He said and he looked up at me with his deep emerald eyes and then he started humming again. I felt happier then I had in a long time and I placed my had on his back and fiddled with his scales as I had done to Thorn all those weeks ago. That felt so long ago now…

We sat there in each others company until the sun was sinking low on the horizon and I became aware of the danger that we might get locked out of the city overnight. I sprung to my feet.

"Race you back!" I grinned at Elzar.

_No _He said simply, crossing his paws.

"Why?!" I asked

_I'm slow…_ I smiled at him. He looked kind of like a kid in a strop and I thought for a couple of seconds, looking over my shoulder at the small slope.

"Well we'll see if we can do something about that!" I said and I walked over to him and knelt down at his side before and picking him up and putting him on my shoulders. It was difficult because he was getting heavy now, really heavy but it was easier to carry him on my shoulders.

"Right…" I said getting to my feet. "As I run down the hill I want you to flap your wings as hard as you can! … And try not to hit me in the head!" I added as an after thought. I felt excitement brewing in him and bubbling through our connection into me.

"Ready?!" I asked

_Ready… _He replied and I ran down the slope as fast as I could, my feet thudding against the hard ground. I felt wind blowing against me as it was thrust out from underneath his wings and after a second or two I felt his weight gradually lessen on my shoulders. I ran faster and faster and his wing beats increased until I could barely feel him on me. Then I came to a sudden stop and he released his grip that was anchoring him to me and he surged off in front. His first couple of beats were shaky and out of sink, and just when I thought he was about to crash into the ground he got it right and he went soaring upwards. He was flying. I felt exhilaration and joy pour into me through him and I felt happiness in my heart as I watched him flap his way over the meadow, basked in the light of the sunset until it looked like his scales were alight with the fire inside of him. And he was mine.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes, no bold! That or the whole thing will go like that without me even realizing it! *raises fists to computer and growls at it* but it wouldn't do that now, would it?!?

Now that I have finished with my little rant at my computer I would like to take this time to thank all those damn 'recorded messages' that we had coming to our house yesterday [believe it or not there were four, four!] that REALLY helped me finish writing the next bit.

Hope that was okay, and sorry again about my seriously spazed up story. Also thanks to ambrele who has reviewed every single chapter and really helped.

Im going camping in just over a week [a week on Monday] so im going not going to be able to update. If you go on evie898's profile she has a few good stories added to her favs that you might want to check out.

Review!


	28. Chapter 28

I started making my way back to Ruby's when my thoughts had finally organised themselves and I thought I would be able to walk past all those people with all there emotions without having a mental breakdown in the street. I walked as quickly as I could without tripping over anything in my path and had soon found my way back to the gates. I could feel the sun on my face, though it wasn't strong, and guessed it to be about early evening. As soon as I was in the gates the emotions that I had felt building in strength as I had made my way here wash over me in a tide a wave, leaving me slightly out of breath and wondering what had happened.

"are you okay?" I heard someone ask and come over to me, but I simply straightened up, forced my breathing to sound normal and smiled in the direction of the stranger.

"fine, thank you." I said and carried on walking, the person still seemed a little uncertain. A sudden, rather irrational urge to find arya suddenly overpowered me and in my mind I searched for her, soon finding her energy at the training arena. I quickly walked back to Ruby's house and getting my bow and arrows before telling everyone I would be back soon and heading for the other side of the city. Arya was still there when I got there.

"lafniar! I needed to talk to you!" she said and sounded happy enough, but underneath she was worried about me.

"Arya, I was wondering if I could try hit a target or two. Could you clear the place or something?" I asked and I heard her chuckle.

"sure. If you come with me there is a separate training area from this. I sure we could use it. I think its empty." she told me and I nodded, Inwardly wincing as someone was hit on the arm with a blunt training sword. I was lead by Arya to a long thin room, away from the sounds of sword clashing and arrows striking there targets and into a comfortable silence.

"can you feel where the target is?" Arya asked and I nodded. "im standing behind you. Shoot when your ready, and don't worry if you don't get it in the centre, I wouldn't expect you to." she said in an overly and obviously fake 'understanding' voice. I tok one of the the arrows and knocked it in the bow, before pulling the bow string back as far as I could and concentrating. I sensed where the target was, where the circular edge ended and worked out where the middle would be roughly in comparison to it. Then I let go, breathing out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding at the same time. I felt Arya's surprise before I heard her gasp.

"what?" I asked and I heard her turn, could feel her gaze on me.

"I just…" she trailed off.

"its okay, at least you don't treat me like im dying or some fragil piece of glass. Could you keep this place clear so that I can train here? I just don't want to go out there. For a little while anyway." I told her, and felt weird confiding in an almost total stranger.

"sure, sure." she said and I nodded before going back to shooting arrows. I heard her leave a few minutes later. I didn't mind, though. I kind of liked being alone, with no-one hovering around you, watching your every move and reminding you to 'eat your vegetables' though I didn't say anything as I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. When I got back everyone was talking quietly, each person nervous though not showing it as they didn't want anyone else to worry. Though they seemed temporarily distracted. I knocked and Ruby got up onside so that she could answer the door. When she saw me stood there she let out a pent up breath.

"sorry, it's just kind of easy to lose track of the time when you can't see the sun." I said as I means of an apology and I heard Evie laugh. She was in a happy mood. Ruby grabbed my arm gently and lead me over to where Megan and Scoble had both shifted slightly so that I could sit with them on the sofa.

"so, what were you guys talking about?" I asked, slightly curious.

"Evie's dragon! He flew!" scoble told me.

"scoble!" Evie complained. "his name is Elzar!" Evie said, and I guessed that meant she had picked a name for him.

_It's a nice name, Elzar. _I told him telepathically, and heard Evie jump.

"how did you do that?" she asked, and I guessed she had heard what I had said to him as well.

"elf?" I said by means of an explanation and Scoble chuckled under her breath. It seemed that Evie's dragon getting a name and flying had finally lightened the dark mood that had been hanging round the house like a cloud, for which I was grateful.

**Sorry this took such a long time, but you should settle in for more of a wait because evie is on holiday to **_**French people are going to come and abduct me!!!! **_**[her own words] but i have a couple of other chapters. Hope this was okay!!!! **

**Don't forget to review!!!**


	29. Chapter 29

The wind blew softly through the open window onto the bare skin on my shoulders, causing a faint shiver to run the length of my body. I pulled the thin blanket closer around me but the itchy sheets did barely anything to help the cold. The moon outside the window illuminated the room in a silvery light, leaving only a couple of dark shadows in the corners. Lana lay soundlessly in the bed opposite and on the floor was Elzar and Scoble, who was curled up rather like a dog. The wind increased in strength and the curtains fluttered up from where they rested against the wall and blew outwards into the room as if they were trying to escape the wooden rings that held them there. I began to shiver more profusely as the cold wind gradually chilled me to the bone. I threw the blanket aside from where it lay covering my torso and legs, letting it drape onto the floor then turned around on the mattress to close the shutters only to freeze at what was in the street no more than a few mere meters away. My blood roared in my ears and every inch of my body became tense as I stared back at it. A dark hooded cloak fluttered in the wind, hovering several centimetres from the ground yet the wind did not carry it away. Where a body should have filled the interior was only darkness but somehow it was looking at me. I knew it was looking at me.

I jerked awake in the darkness, my heart beating like a frantic humming bird in my chest and little droplets of perspiration trickled their way down my forehead and the back of my neck. I sat up and wiped it away with my hand and I was suddenly basked in the pale light of the moon as a cloud cleared its way in the night sky. My head shot round and my eyes were met with an empty street on the other side of the window. Well what had I been thinking? It was just a nightmare but that still didn't seem to calm the frenetic nerves in my chest. I lay back down onto the hard mattress and pulled the blanket up to my chin, exposing my toes as it was slightly too short. I lay there and pushed the vivid nightmare from my mind with other more nagging thoughts. I lay awake, unable to get to sleep but partially not wanting to, pondering about the events of the last couple of weeks and how dramatically my life had changed. The whole concept seemed just so difficult to accept. I was a dragon rider now, possibly a princess (though I really hoped not) and I was partially responsible for the fate of the entire land. I wasn't sure if I really wanted that much responsibility though. I knew I was supposed to get as much sleep as possible but my mind was perfectly awake, unable to even comprehend the prospect of sleep. Just before nightfall several hours ago a maid had come to the door offering me finer chambers up in the castle but I had said that I would rather stay here, cramped as it was. There were only two tiny bedrooms. Ruby had moved into her brother's room along with Megan and Caitlain leaving the slightly smaller room to me, Lana, Scoble and Elzar. I knew I couldn't stay here for long, with the rate at which Elzar was growing, soon enough he wouldn't be able to fit into the tiny house so I decided to enjoy it while it lasted, however cramped it might be. Me and Lana got the beds soon as Scoble didn't seem to care about sleeping on the floor. She curled into a tight ball at the opposite end of the room to Elzar who curled up at the foot of my bed with his head resting on the mattress. A pleasant cool breeze swept though the stuffy room through the open window and I gazed out to the moon glowing in all its pale beauty in the rich black sky. Cloud cover had swept in at evening, obscuring most of the twinkling stars but at least it kept it warm. It was perfectly silent apart from the screeches of owls and the ever so distant clinking of guards armour as they did their patrols along the city wall. I turned over in the bed, desperately trying to distract my attention from the open window. I really needed to get some sleep. The sheets were itchy and they rubbed against me as I moved but they were still so much better to the last ones I had slept in, in that grand four-poster bed. I pulled the thin blanket closer to me and forced my eyes tightly shut hoping as if by some miracle I would just drop off. I don't know how long I lay there, in the dark. The minutes that slowly ticked back felt like hours and even though I tried not to be I was painfully aware of every little noise or the soft wind that blew ever so gently against my exposed skin. Suddenly I heard a sharp intake of breath and my eyes snapped open to see Lana, panting in the bed opposite, beads of perspiration trickling down her forehead.

"You alright?!" I asked, concerned.

"Yea" She replied blindly turning in the direction of my voice "Just nightmares…" She trailed off.

"Wanna tell me about it?" I asked softly.

"It's just the same stupid repetitive one that I already told you about. It doesn't matter"

I nodded. Remembering what she had told us the other night. "How can you even have nightmares?" I asked "You don't even sleep, just kind of lie there in a trance!"

"It's complicated…" She breathed "Not something you want to try and get to grips with at one o'clock on the morning. Why are you awake anyway? You're supposed to be getting plenty of sleep"

"Cant sleep" I lied. I didn't want to tell her the fact that I had had a nightmare as well.

"Have you even tried?!" She asked

"Yes!" I sighed in an exasperated tone. We lay in silence for several minutes and I gradually forgot about her presence and my mind drifted back to the same troubling thoughts of what had happened to me over the last week or two. So much had happened to me in such little time… Lana seemed to sense my troubles.

"What happened to you over the last week or there about, you never told me the proper extent of it." She said "Something's troubling you, do you want to get it off your chest? I'm a good listener"

"I don't know" I sighed Realising at her word that I hadn't told any of them in great detail exactly what had happened. "It's a long story…"

"We have a lot of time" Lana said.

"Well…" I began, uncertain how to start. "It wasn't long after I had left with Becker. We were only a few minutes flight away from Ellesmera when shadow darkened the sky. We were both quite cold so we hadn't been paying much attention to our surroundings and Thorn was upon us before we knew it. His tale thrashed down from out of nowhere and sent us both flying. Becker accidentally let go of me and I remembered watching him toppling down, down and just when I thought I was going to hit the ground myself Murtagh caught me. Of course I resisted at first, I fought against his iron grip but then he quickly pointed out to me that it wasn't exactly a good idea when you're flying along on a dragon hundreds of meters off the ground and I had no choice but to stay still. Then he strapped me into the saddle deliberately tightly as if he was trying to cause me pain and then we just flew, I lost track of the time and we swept over Du Weldenvarden and we kept flying for days… What happened to Becker?" I suddenly asked "At first I thought he was dead but then when I found out he wasn't… how did he survive?"

"Superman" Lana replied simply.

"Huh?!"

"We found him about an hour later in a massive smoking creator a mile or two from Ellesmera. He was a bit sore and achy at first but then he was fine!" She explained.

"Blimey!" I muttered under my breath "I wish I was as indestructible as that"

"You were saying…" Lana prompted, wanting me to carry on with the story.

"Sorry" I apologized and I continued with the tale telling her every detail, as if I was reading her a book. I told her about the flight, then Galbatorix revealing the truth and him casting a spell to send me to sleep, of Murtagh's intimidating mood swings, the crown and of course Gertrude and the dreaded corset, then the escape and fleeing across half of Alagaesia and meeting Eragon and Saphira. The only bit I left out was my fortune, which was for me to know and only me. After the final word left my lips a silence stretched out between us as if Lana was still trying to take it all in. I gazed over at her expectantly for her to say something.

"Well…" She breathed. "You have been through a lot! I kind of feel sorry for you, I mean Galbatorix possibly being your father, having your chest crushed by that evil woman and Murtagh fancying you"

"WHAT?!" I screeched "WHEN THE HELL DID THAT COME INTO THE EQUATION?!"

"You seriously didn't notice?!" Lana asked in an astounded voice.

"NO!" I squeaked.

"His mood swings, how he got worried when your crown hit you and he helped you up, he defended you when that guard accused you and he smiles at you, I bet barely anything makes him smile anymore"

I simply sat on the bed with my mouth hanging open, speechless at the fact that what she was saying actually had a bit of sense in it.

"Na-ah!" I finally said, shaking my head.

"You just don't want to believe it" Lana smiled at me "You can't ignore the facts. It also explains how you escaped so easily. He could have easily stopped you if he wanted to"

"Bu-but" I stammered "The oaths. He swore oaths to stop him doing that sort of things"

"Strong emotions can bend magic, allow people a bit of free will but they have to be very strong emotions. He must have really loved you, so much so that he wanted you to escape"

My mouth hung open and I sat in a horrified silence as Lana gazed back at me with a mixture of amusement and pity on her face.

_Well if he comes anywhere near you I will personally castrate him… _I jumped at Elzar's sudden participation in the conversation and looked over to see him flexing his brilliant white claws in the faint moonlight.

"No!" I objected then paused, slightly puzzled by my sudden reaction and It seemed everybody else was too as they all looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure you don't like him as well?!" Lana smiled jokily.

"WHAT?!" I screeched again "NO!" but my face went bright red and I wasn't exactly sure why. Whether I was just embarrassed at the prospect or maybe a shocking truth dawned on me. Maybe I actually did. I had heard a saying once somewhere that love can easily be mistaken for hatred. At this my heart began to flutter in my chest which no doubt made my face redder.

"OOOAAAAARRHHHHHHHH!" Scoble scoffed from over in her corner.

"Oh god, you're not listening in as well are you?!" I squeaked.

"Love is in the air…." She sang.

I officially want to crawl up in a ball and die.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After finishing embarrassing we all tried to get back to sleep, though I personally didn't want to. Even though it was the same dream each night it still made me want to scream, to demand it to stop. But I could do nothing, and drinking lots of coffee and staying up for nights on end was bound to arouse suspicion, so I had to endure.

After the previous nights rather enlightening but also humiliating conversation I was more tired then I wanted to be. I had made Lana and Scoble promise that they wouldn't tell another living soul as long as they both shall live and I knew Elzar would never tell anyone but as Dragons seemed to do, lock it away in his soul. Bright and early in the morning, only half an hour after dawn and after a breakfast of sloppy porridge me and him made our way back up to the arena to meet Arya and Eragon. I was equipped with my bow along with a full set of arrows stashed in their quiver and my knife. When I reached the arena it seemed that Arya and Eragon had either got bored waiting or were putting on a demonstration as they were in the midst of a duel using their ostentatious weapons. Brisingr, Eragon's sword was only a blue blur in the air as it struck Arya's long and elegant but surprisingly strong blade. Sparks flew up around them as they danced across the arena with many awed spectators watching them at the sides. I stood there kind of awkwardly at the edge at the amazing moves they were performing which were no more than a vague impression. Everyone silently watched as they parried and feinted and stabbed and slashed. I supposed Arya's sword was made up of some ultra strong metal as well as Brisingr, which was moving with such speed and strength didn't hack it to pieces. I remembered reading Brisingr and that Eragons sword was made of a very rare metal called bright steel that Ruhon had found when a meteorite plummeted into the depths of Du Weldenvarden several years ago. I knew I just had hard cheese. I would never get a proper riders sword like that. The last piece of bright steel had been used to create Brisingr and the only remaining swords were that one, Zar'roc and the one in Elesmera that I could quite remember the name of. That one had been green and it had been offered to Eragon so it would probably be offered to me but I remembered that it was designed for stabbing and thrusting, in other words for fighting with brute force which I already knew wasn't my fighting style. If I did by some miracle turn out to be any good I knew I would be the more nimble and evading type, kind of like Arya.

All of a sudden their fighting came to a stop and they both stood there, slightly panting but not half as fatigued as if any normal man would be after their performance. They bowed deeply to each other before sheathing their weapons and walking off the side. After several minutes the normal practice resumed, of the dwarves fighting with their war hammers and swordsmen with their blades and the archers practicing their aim against the targets on the far side. I nervously made my way back over to Eragon and Arya who had already seen me but were just waiting for me to join them. Elzar padded along by my side as we walked over.

"We hear you have chosen a name" Arya commented, bowing to him. "Elzar, a fine choice. I take it you came up that name together?" She said looking from him up to me.

"Yes" I smiled. "He didn't want to be named after and old dragon. He was very insistent about it."

"Bear it well" Eragon said to Elzar and he nodded his head in reply. "We also heard that you had your very first flight with a little help" At these words I felt a little proudness seep into Elzar and he straightened his neck. I smiled at his reaction.

"Yes" I said speaking for him. "He is very proud with himself"

"And so he should be" Arya smiled, inclining her head to him yet again. I knew that was just the way it was in the elves culture but I had to admit it was starting to get on my nerves. They all acted as if he was some god or something.

_You're just jealous! _Elzar thought, his words drifting in to my mind.

_No I'm not! _I retorted. _It's just seriously annoying! _

_Yea… _He replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. I decided not to make a come back as we were supposed to be talking to Arya and Eragon.

"Where's Saphira?" I asked.

"She is waiting for Elzar to join her in a secluded meadow hidden in the trees just outside the city." Eragon said. "You and him will accompany me there in a minute and I will begin your training by assessing you skills with magic. In the after noon you will return here to meet Arya at which point you will begin your training with a blade. Are you ready to go?"

"Yea…" I said slightly uncertainly, nerves bubbling up in my stomach.

"You might as well leave your weapons with me you will not need them with Eragon" Arya said and I shouldered off my quiver and bow and passed them to her. I decided to leave my dagger in my belt as it felt better to have one weapon no matter how small it was and bad you were at using it, anyway it wasn't as if it took much carrying or it obstructed my movement.

"Lets go then" Eragon said, buckling Brisingr in place in its sheath and he started a steady jog and ran out of the arena. Because of our slow pace Elzar was able to keep up on foot and we ran along several meters behind Eragon as he led us through the town to the north gate then we ran along the northern road then of onto a dusty track and headed through the outskirts of a large deciduous wood. We continued on until we were nearly at the heart when all of a sudden the trees cleared and we were in a large clearing. The partially flattened long grass swayed around our legs as we walked out into the centre to greet Saphira who stood there motionless, the sunlight reflecting off her dazzling blue scales which shone like gemstones. The clearing was baron apart from a large boulder which looked slightly out of place so I guessed it had been put there by Saphira for some reason or another. Elzar went up closer than me to greet Saphira and I noticed he had taken heed to my earlier words as he walked more with a sense of trepidation more than excitement. His scales shone an equally beautiful deep emerald green as he snaked through the grass and me and Eragon watched the welcoming.

_Everything seems to be in order. _Saphira said and turned towards us. She was evidently broadening her range of thoughts for my benefit so I could hear her speak. _We shall be off now._

"What just like that?!" I asked a bit stunned.

_Yes we have many things to cover in a little amount of time. _She replied and she picked up Elzar by the scruff of his neck much like a mother dog would do to a puppy and then she placed him on her back and unfolded her deep wings, blocking out the sun and bathing me and Eragon in a blue hue. The powerful gush of wind that was sent out from under her wings as she propelled herself into the sky was enough to knock me flat and it would have, if Eragon hadn't caught me. As soon as the wind had died down a bit Eragon put me down and I picked myself up and brushed down my clothes. I turned to see Saphira carrying herself and Elzar away into the sky with each of her powerful wing beats.

"Where are they going?" I asked, shielding the sun from my eyes with my hand and gazing after them.

"To a long ridge a mile or two away that spans the western edge of this forest" Eragon replied. "It is the perfect place for Elzar to get to perfect his flying technique"

I nodded and looked back over at Eragon.

"So what are we going to do now?!" I asked.

"Follow me" Eragon said and he paced away in between the grass to the edge of the clearing. I followed him until we stopped underneath the boughs of a low oak tree. Where there was a few more boulders scattered about the place and there was also a small makeshift hut a couple of meters away in between the trees.

"Sit" Eragon said gesturing to one of the boulders and I perched on the edge of one and looked expectantly back at him.

"Right…" He began, pacing back and forth. I could tell that he was slightly uncomfortable by the way he moved. "As you know I am going to be your teacher but as you might have guessed I am quite inexperienced in the whole education thing so please try to work with me and I expect you to try your best at all times as I am trying my best to teach you."

I simply nodded again and remained silent.

"Errr… right" He murmured "First I thought it was best for me to find out how much you already know if any and then I can start on teaching you the basic words of the ancient language and maybe you can see if you can use those words in a charm or spell. So… do you know any words in the ancient language…And can you read and write?"

"I can read and write" I said.

"Good…" Eragon murmured "That will save us time… and what of the ancient language?"

Me being me had read Eragon so many times I had actually once decided to learn all of the ancient words that I found in the back of the books in the ancient language section and surprisingly I had found them easy to learn and they had stuck in my mind. I started reciting the easiest and most common like stenr reisa and draumr kopa then jierda, gedwey ignasia, varden, vrangr, gata, garjzla, argetlam and the list went on… I knew that some of the words were names aswell and they could be split into two to form two words like Du Weldanvarden which was the guarding forest.

"So… you know quite a few then…" Eragon said, stunned a bit by my broad band of knowledge.

"I know more it's just that I can't remember all of them when it comes to reciting them"

"Okay that's good…" Eragon said "It'll save us yet more time but have you actually tried using any of those words in a spell?!"

At that I laughed inwardly to myself the fact was I had, lots of times but it had never worked maybe now though, when I was actually in Alagaesia and a dragon rider it would.

"No…" I stuttered.

"Okay so lets start you on the one most people start with. Well it's what I started with anyway. Stenr reisa, which means…" He said… nodding for me to answer him.

"Raise stone" I said automatically.

"Good" He picked up a rounded grey stone from the dusty earth and tossed it to me. My hand went out immediately and caught it in mid-flight.

"Good reflexes" He said. I hadn't really noticed that I had already started to alter ever since Elzar had hatched for me and I suddenly realised with a shock, the truth in his words. I had just caught the stone without really thinking about it. I guessed it all came in part of the package, get a dragon and you get all this. I gazed down at the pebble in my hand and I already knew that I would loath it by the end of the day.

"Well…"

"Yes right…" I said, looking back down at the pebble. "Stenr reisa!" I commanded as if I was somehow expecting it to rise perfectly from my hand the first time. The truth was the fat little antagonistic pebble stayed exactly where it was as if it was saying 'ha ha!' I managed to keep my cool and I tried again and again… and again. I got agitated after several tries and I got up and started to pace around, reciting the same two words again and again as I did so. "Stenr reisa!"

After nearly half and hour I finally lost I and screamed, throwing the stupid, stuck up, fat, ugly, infuriating, maddening little stupid, insignificant rock down on the ground as hard as I could as if I was trying to cause it pain. I growled and paced around the small patch underneath the oak tree, glaring infuriatingly back at it all the time. I picked it up again, then threw it back down, then picked it up again and had a couple more tries which all went unsuccessfully before throwing it back down again.

"It's difficult for everyone on their first try" Eragon said and I looked over at him. He was sat on a patch of grass just out from underneath the shade of the tree watching my efforts. "It was just as difficult for me on my time. You just have to keep at it" I looked away again back down to the pebble and took a deep breath. I picked it up and knitted my brow in concentration before trying again and to my pleasant surprise the stone gave a little shudder where it lay in the palm of my hand, resting just on top of my gedwey ignasia.

"It moved!" I exclaimed.

"Good" Eragon said "Just keep at it" After a couple more tries I got it to rise about a centimetre from my hand before it fell back down again. It took until lunchtime until I could to it perfectly and I now somehow understood that patience was perseverance. Each time I now commanded the stone with the words Stenr reisa it would rise faultlessly from my palm just to the height I wanted to before it would begin the controlled sink back down again.

"Very good" Eragon praised and he walked over and plucked the pebble from my hand and tossed it back down to the earth. "Lunch?!" He suggested and I nodded and I watched as he disappeared into the small hut then re-emerged with two plates filled with salad and fruit. "I don't eat meat" He explained, passing me one of the plates.

"Neither do I" I said and smiled as I took one and gratefully and dug into the fresh lettuce. Salad was one of my favourite meals.

"Really!?" Eragon said. He sounded generally surprised.

"Uh-huh!" I mumbled through a mouth full of leafy green stuff.

"Ok" He said and he just pleasantly smiled before turning his attention back to his food. Me being an exceedingly quick eater was finished way before he was and I went over and picked the pebble back up and practiced a bit more even though I had already got it perfect. You could never get too much practice.

"You're a quick learner" Eragon said as he watched. "You're learning much quicker than I did anyway" I smiled at him as he put down his plate. "We have another hour before you go to meet Arya so I thought that in that time we might work on the field which takes a lot of practice and concentration. That is why I thought we would do a tiny bit everyday and you would do good to practice on your own as well. This of course if defence and infiltration of the mind. It is one of the main deciders in a wizard's duel and a key factor for when it comes to understanding magic"

"Ok…" I mumbled.

"Do you know the basics?!" He asked. "How to defend your mind from attack"

"I think so…" I said uncertainly. I had also practiced this as well, being a massive Eragon fan. It was mainly how I survived my science lessons with Mr Edwards. Most of the way through I was focusing on a tiny irrelevant thing that was nothing to do with chemical change. I always pictured a frost bitten leaf that had just fallen from its branch onto a tranquil lake causing ripples to span out from around it as it span idly on the crystal surface. I didn't know whether this would suffice when it came to defending my mind from Eragon.

"You think of one thing and nothing else and you mustn't stray your mind from that thing otherwise it causes a breech in your defences and allows the attacker to enter." I said.

"Good" Eragon said "Do you want me to try on you or do you think you are not yet practiced enough?"

"Try me" I said and I shut my eyes and braced myself. I thought of the tranquil scene once more. I knew it was better to use something or someone you felt strongly about but I didn't really have anything like that and I had practiced with the scene for years so I decided to use that. I saw the picturesque scene in my mind and watched as the leaf fell from the branch and fell onto the lake surface, its frost-bitten edges curling up so it resembled a bowl shape and it span seamlessly on the glassy water. All of a sudden I felt something alien poking around the edges, something that wanted to get in and upset the tranquillity of my thoughts. I simply ignored it and soon forgot about its existence as I watched the leaf once more spinning, spinning and spinning as the miniscule ripples raced out to the lake's shore around it. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jerked myself back to reality and I opened my eyes to see Eragon bending over me.

"That was amazing!" He exclaimed, "How did you manage to create a barrier that strong?!"

"Practice" I shrugged with a grin. So I was good at something.

"You must have done a lot of it" He said.

Believe me, I wanted to say, over a years worth of science lesson with Mr Edwards is plenty.

"You still need to practice though" Eragon said "You must never allow your defences to become slack or you will pay the price. A little bit everyday is good. I find the best time is when you are trying to get to sleep rather than counting sheep" (Or in a science lesson) I added in my mind. "Okay…" Eragon continued "So lets see if you are as good at infiltrating as you are in defending" I was almost one hundred percent sure I wouldn't be. You couldn't practice infiltration by yourself. So I had never even tried it.

"I never practiced infiltration before" I stuttered and Eragon looked over at me.

"No need to worry" He said "If you are that good at defence you will find getting to grips with it slightly easier than a normal person. As you might have guessed it's just like defence except in reverse. Here's what we're going to do. You go into the same state as you were before except then you reach out for my mind. I will put some simple defences up and if you find them easy then I will make them harder and harder. Got it?!"

"Yep" I said and I nodded and I shut my eyes as he said. Instead of defending it I reached out, into the space and I felt horrible vulnerable and exposed but I pressed on. It took me barely any time to find Eragon's consciousness. It shone like a light in the darkness but as I noticed there were also lots of other lights, none of them flaring as brightly but they were still little flickers of life. There were millions of them surrounding us then I suddenly realised I was getting side tracked and I pushed them from my mind and advanced on Eragon's. As soon as I reached it I felt a solid wall. I pushed against it and it only seemed to grow stronger. I tried to go round the edges but they seemed to extend even further into the expanse. I decided the only way to get in was to burrow. I forced myself with all my strength upon a tiny section but as I did this the section only seemed to grow thicker and stronger but maybe the other bits became weaker. I removed myself and pretended to attack a different spot. I forced all of my strength on the certain tiny bit but I snuck round, still impressing my strength on that bit and he didn't seem to notice. I was right, away from that point he was weak, very weak and there were tiny holes but size didn't matter they were still holes and I slipped in. All of a sudden I was flooded in memories. I saw myself gathered round a fire in what I presumed was Carvahall listening to Brom as he wove his fantastic stories. I was feeling entranced and amazed. Then all of a sudden I wasn't there anymore, I was kneeling over a large blue stone and I tapped it with the tip of an arrow that was in my hand. Then I wasn't there anymore either I was in the most beautiful garden I had ever seen in the heart of Elesmera but I only had eyes for Arya who was inspecting a deep blue climbing flower in front of me and I was thinking how truly beautiful she was…

I gasped and found myself lying flat on my back in the dirt, feeling overwhelmed at what I had just seen. I shook my head, clearing my mind and sat up and looked over at Eragon who was sagged on a large boulder, breathing heavily.

"How…how the hell did you do that?!" He gasped. There was a sweat on his brow and he mopped it down with his sleeve. My breath stuck in my throat.

"I'm so, so sorry!" I stuttered and I went over to help his stand upright.

"How… how did you do that?!" He repeated.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, my voice shaking. "I'm so sorry!" I squeaked, apologizing again. I didn't know if I was expecting him to have and intimidating angry burst like Murtagh or what but I was scared.

"Sorry!" He said "That was amazing! And you said you've never done it before!"

"But I haven't…" I stuttered.

"You must be a natural!" He exclaimed and he clapped me on the back. I smiled a bit bewilderedly. Eragon went back and sat down on the boulder. "Its time… its time you went to meet Arya" He said. "You will be able to get there yourself?!"

"Yea" I nodded "Are you sure you'll be ok? I'm so sorry!"

"Don't apologize!" He exclaimed "And yes I will be fine! Now go before you are late!" I bowed my head out of respect soon as he was meant to be my teacher and I jogged out across the meadow and back through the wood. It was a long distance and on the way I realised how I was rapidly becoming a lot fitter after running about three miles (the distance I estimated from the arena to the secluded clearing) I was as tired as when I would have run just one mile back in reality or wherever home was. It took me about twenty minutes to reach the arena and I walked in to the sound of yelling and the clashing of swords and the twanging of bowstrings. I blocked out the noise and walked around the edge to the far side where I could see Arya waiting by the weapon racks again. She smiled, acknowledging my presence as I walked up to her.

"How did your training with Eragon go" She asked.

"Well… I think" I said.

"I can see you are a very modest person" She smiled "Here" She said and she turned around and picked up my weapons from where they hung on the rack and she passed them back to me. I took them gratefully and swung my bow and quiver back round on my back and patted the knife at my waist.

"As I have told you we will not be training here. It was simply a convenient meeting place for your first day and from now on we will be meeting and training somewhere else" She said "Follow me" And she walked into the room by the weapons where she had retrieved the elven bow from yesterday. Inside it was a mini armoury for grander weapons. There were jewel encrusted war hammers, evidently belonging to dwarven chiefs, elven bows and swords and human blades made of the finest steel it was as if they shimmered in the faint light. She picked up the bow that I recognized as the one that I had used yesterday and left through a side door and we were out in the street again except in an upper class district of the town. She led me along the street and I realized we were heading up towards the castle. Instead of the roads being dirt they were paved and the houses had primitive forms of glass in the windows. It didn't take very long to get to where we were going. She led me to one of the off shoots from one of the castle wings. I followed her through a grand oak door then into a slightly gloomy passage that had alight torches in brackets in the walls to keep it at a sufficient light level.

"So these rooms are for people who get to train in private?!" I asked as I inspected my surroundings. The long corridor led down towards the heart of the castle with rooms off on either side from which I could hear clashing blades and shouting.

"Yes" Arya replied "They are mainly used by novices like teenagers in the first few stages of their training. One of them though is used by your friend Lafniar as she doesn't seem to trust her other senses to prevent her from hitting people with stray arrows now that her sight has gone."

"Really!" I said and in each door we passed I glanced through the small barred window that was set in each of them, hoping to catch a glimpse of her though I never did because all too soon we arrived at our room and I followed Arya in. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was lighter than the other ones as it had many large glass windows in the wall. They were high up, so much so that through them you could only spy the sky and clouds but they bathed the room in a bright warm light. It had an exceptionally tall ceiling, I guessed about three stories and the floor and wall were plain stone. At the far end there was a small rack containing various swords which were all different weights and sizes. I guessed Arya was about to fit me out with one of them as she already had her own elegant blade at her waist. There was also a target in the far corner with various white lines painted on the floor in front of it various distances away.

"Over here" Arya said and she strode over to the rack of swords. As I came closer to them I noticed that all of the blades were blunted, perfect for training novices. They couldn't cut, stab or slash but they could still hit and cause massive bruises. I walked to Arya's side as she stood surveying the rack of swords. She looked me up and down then looked back at the swords again.

"This one maybe" She said and she plucked one from in amongst the others and passed it to me. It was long in length with a slightly curved blade and was elegantly forged like Arya's though the craftsman who created this blade could never live up to the standards of the elves. The pommel of this particular blade was silver and the hilt was wrapped in green ribbon and silver wire. The metal gleamed in the afternoon sunlight as I admired its beauty. It wasn't a perfect match but I guessed it was as good as I could hope for without having the blade made for me. The blade felt ever so slightly out of balance. I heard once that a sword should feel like an extension of your arm where as if I held this blade it felt like an extension of my arm with a large grapefruit on the end.

"It'll do" I smiled at Arya.

"I know it's not perfect but it is only a practice sword. In due time I am sure you will have one forged for you but only when you know how to properly wield one." I nodded at her words as she removed her sword from its sheath. As they lay side to side for several seconds the blade made mine looked like a pathetic imitation made by a wannabe blacksmith. I watched as Arya blunted the edge of her blade by saying a few words in the ancient language then a little red spark flickered into life in between her fingers and she ran it up and down the length of both side of its blade. When she was finished she snapped her fingers and the spark disappeared then she paced out to the centre and with a sense of trepidation brewing in my stomach I walked after her. All of a sudden she lunged at me. It was only a simple swipe to the side and I screamed and just in time I bought my blade into contact with hers to deflect it and stop it from hitting my side. She came at me again from the other side except this time I was expecting it so I was able to deflect the blow quicker and without the embarrassing scream. I knew she going easy on me, an elf would never be as slow as this in battle. If this really was battle I would already be dead. It only took a couple more blows for her to disarm me, my sword went clattering to the floor and the tip of her blade flicked up to my throat.

"Pick up your blade" She said "Try again" I did as she said and we fought again. We continued in this manner for hours. It didn't take long for a sweat to accumulate on my forehead and by the end I was exhausted, not to mention covered in bruises and aching. I cannot explain to you the sense of relief I got when Arya finally said

" Okay… You're tired enough. That's enough for the day" I hobbled back over to the rack and put my sword back then picked up my bow.

"All you need is practice" Arya smiled at me. "Just give it the effort you gave today and you will soon be an expert" I smiled politely back at her, too exhausted to say anything.

"Come I will escort you back to your friends house" She said and I gratefully followed her from the room.

As soon as I got in through the door I flopped into one of the armchairs and didn't move for well over an hour just thinking about how I had never noticed how amazing comfy it was before. I was only disturbed by Elzar as he came padding in from the bedroom where he had been asleep for the past two hours. Apparently Saphira had dropped him at the gates and he had been as equally exhausted as me although by then no traces of it remained as he was as happy and active as he normally was. I followed him into the bedroom and he told me in ecstatic words about his day with Saphira. She had mainly been showing him things as he was too young to perform a lot of thing yet. He specifically wouldn't shut up about when she had heated a rock so much with her fiery breath she had been able to sculpt it with her claws and then I was slightly shocked when he picked up a small fragment of rock from the floor by where he slept at the bottom of my bed and showed it to me. Apparently Saphira had allowed him to keep it and it was a fragment of the large one that she had sculpted. I turned it over in my hands to see it was contorted and twisted and there were bubble holes in it.

"Wow!" I said as enthusiastically as I could manage and I gave it back to him and he placed it back on the floor by his side. I had no doubt that he would be treating it like a teddy bear for the next few days.

Days passed, then weeks, then months. Schedule went as normal for me and Elzar and he grew enormously. So we had to move up to one of the rooms in the castle. The bed there was plusher and there was something for Elzar to sleep on other then the hard floor and we were served nicer meal but it was lonely and I went back down to Ruby's house everyday in my spare time to see Lana and that lot. I improved gradually. The war for some reason seemed to cool it. It was almost as if the whole of Alagaesia had been put on pause just for me. My moves in sword training with Arya became more complex and a lot quicker and soon she was putting me up against army captains and generals. My magic usage accelerated and my mind defence and penetration was impeccable but I was still nothing compared to Eragon and Arya and I knew I would be nothing compared to Murtagh, Galbatorix or any shade he might conjure up either. Lana continued to have her nightmares and so did I. The strange repetitive one visited me at least every week in my dreams and the cloak moved each time to where I was. I ignored it, deciding it was just a stray odd figment of my imagination. I felt my body growing stronger and Arya made me fight with my left hand as often as my right so I wouldn't become 'lopsided' as she put it. What I figured was spring/summer when we arrived was now turning into summer/autumn. Me and Elzar had our first flight together. It was certainly something that I would never forget. The wind blowing against you as you soared through the sky, the entire landscape unrolling in front of you. It made me feel on top of the world. I had a sword crafted especially for me by the talented dwarven weapon masters and Elzar had a saddle made by the elves as a gift of hospitality. It was definitely one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen but as was most of their craftwork. Rather than being made out of leather it was constructed of an exceedingly strong viney wood substance which I guessed had been sung from a tree. It also had many complex spells woven into it to make it fireproof. Arya also trained me in martial art combat rather than using swords. She taught me how to do tumbles and flips then eventually back flips. Elzar's days became longer, as he grew and there was more to learn so he now got back to our meeting place at Ruby's after me. He couldn't get into the house anymore in fact he was going the way that he was almost as big as the house itself. One day Nasuada watched me throughout a course of my days training and I could tell as I looked at her she was slightly disappointed. I knew I could never live up to Eragon or an elf but I had to do the best with what I was given to work with but still her disappointment went to my heart and not one day after that did I feel happy with what I had learnt or how quickly I was learning. I just felt like a girl they were desperately trying to turn into something she wasn't. After one of my training sessions with Arya, just before I was about to head home I paused in the door way of the practice room and I turned back to look at her.

"Arya…" I began. She turned to me with a kind smile on her face. I shut the door and walked back over to her. "Could you show me how you really fight?" I asked. In the last few months she had never particularly fought better than a human would. I was tired after the days training but I wanted to know what I was up against and if I really had a chance of ever beating it.

"Are you sure you want me to?" She asked and I slowly nodded. "So be it" She said and she drew her sword from its sheath again and expertly blunted the edges within a couple of seconds. I stood opposite her and braced myself for what was about to be unleashed on me. When she was finished she stood motionless for several seconds and the anticipation was almost unbearable. All of a sudden she flicked her blade so startlingly fast I was barely able to deflect it. The blow was so strong it jarred my whole body and I had to brace myself against her. She came at me again and again and again so fast I was only able to deflect her blows not make any in return. I ended up so far back I was almost against the wall. I had to try and gain some ground back otherwise I would be backed against the wall with no chance of getting out. I made a risky decision to deflect yet another of her blows and then try a feint but it didn't work. The flat of her blade slammed against mine and I watched as my sword went clattering to the floor. Her sword went up to my throat so fast I barely had time to register it and there looking down at the blade at my throat I had my answer. No. No I couldn't fight them. I managed to keep the tears back as long as it took me to retrieve my blade and get out the door. As I walked back along the corridor I felt them running freely down my cheeks and they dripped onto the floor. I was just a disappointment to everybody. Yea sure I was doing my best but surely I could never have been meant for this? I swung my cloak onto my shoulders as I emerged out onto the street even though it was a warm, dry day and used the large silky blue hood to hide my face. I walked down my usual path to Ruby's house but once there I walked straight past the door. I wanted some alone time. I went down the road to the gates then out across the grassy field to the place where Elzar had first flown. I let the wind blow back my hood soon as no one was there to see my face. My long bland blonde hair billowed out behind me as I paced up the slope to the tree line. I plonked myself down onto the same spot I had all those months ago and let out a quiet sob that was swept away in the wind. The sun was setting on the horizon. Why did the world have to be so cruel? I was probably going to die trying to live up to stupid expectations. I buried my head in my hands and let the tears run until they dripped from the tip of my nose onto the parched earth below where it greedily absorbed the salty liquid. I sat there for ages in a trance like state. I didn't even see Saphira and Elzar as they swooped in by the town's gate after his days training. I was only snapped from the trance by a quiet crack from in amongst the trees behind me. My head spun round and my keen eyesight caught sight of a fold of black material sliding away behind a tree trunk. I stayed frozen in place for several seconds. I wiped away the tears and decided to follow I know it was stupid but hey, I was angry at the world and everything in it so I didn't really give a toss. I surged to my feet and warily walked after it. I went a couple of meters into the trees, the late afternoon sunlight shining through the canopy that consisted of browning leaves and casting dappled patches of light on the forest floor. I stopped for a second wondering which way the thing or person went then I saw the same thing again, a silky black fold of material snaking away behind the trunk of a tree. Maybe it was the hem of someone's cloak. Whoever it was they wanted me to follow and stupidly enough I obliged. I walked after it then gradually turned into a run and then a sprint but they always seemed the same distance ahead of me. I didn't notice the fact that I was being led further and further away from Feinister. We had gone about a mile when all of a sudden I rounded a particularly large oak tree and was faced with a small clearing but my heart almost stopped as I laid eyes on what I had been following. I had been so stupid. The cloak from my nightmares was hovering in the centre of the small sunny glade, the sinister dark shroud looking slightly out of place in the joyous landscape.

"What the hell!" I gasped and I scrambled backwards, desperate to get away, but I slipped on the moss at the roots of a tree and fell down. The cloak hovered seamlessly off the leaf ridden forest floor the hem slightly rippling in the faint breeze.

"What are you?!" I yelled at it. I refused to understand how it could be in the mortal world yet haunt my dreams as well. There was no reply and the dark hood where a face should have been stared back at me.

"Tell me!" I demanded, preparing to get to my feet and run. All of a sudden as if in an answer the cloak fell to the ground around what was inside of it. It was a small pulsing orb of dark light that suddenly unravelled and, creating a head then a long neck, body and forelimbs then rear limbs and tail of a dragon. There still remained a small pulsing orb of light which the very tip of its tail remained attached to as if it was an umbilical cord. The head of the mighty dragon apparition snaked round, surveying the surrounding forest then its gaze fell on me. I gulped and scrambled backwards once more only to find myself backed up against a tree. It advanced forward, its eyes glowing with knowledge and wisdom as it regarded me.

_Approach _It said speaking with its mind. I don't know why but I felt compelled to do as it said and I got to my feet and to a few shaky steps forward until I was almost at the centre of the clearing. It circled me once, then twice and then a third time but it didn't stop it just kept on going, faster and faster until all that surrounded me was a hazy dark blur but I wasn't scared I trusted the strange apparition.

_Our gift to you to do what must be done… _The words floated into my mind as my hair was whipped up around me and I tried to make out sections of the forest through the hazy blur then a blistering heat surged through my body that left me burning in a terrible pain that was too immense for words and I retreated inside myself as I fell to the forest floor, unconscious and the strange apparition was no more.

*~*~*

My eyes fluttered open to see silky golden hair curling onto the forest floor beside me which was carpeted with bright green moss. I drunkenly reached out and poked some of the hair thinking no hair could surely be such a shiny deep golden colour and consist of such luxurious curls then I noticed that the hand had perfect and immaculate glossy nails. I thought nothing of it and I pressed the hands to the mossy forest floor to lift myself up and I winced as I looked around the picturesque sunny glade. Flowers bloomed in the rich mossy undergrowth and in the shaft of sunlight that shone down in through the canopy butterflies fluttered.

For some reason the thought popped into my head that the place I was in right now looked like the forest clip that used to be on the television and advertised BBC1 except there were no fairies or rabbits and there was a bewildered girl sitting in the middle of the clearing thinking what the fuck is going on? Then the shocking truth seemed to dawn on me.

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelled then sprang to my feet and sprinted back in the direction of Feinister hoping no one had missed me just yet only to stop and abruptly fall down on my arse slightly shocked at how I had run so fast.

_Evie?! _Elzar's sudden concerned voice sprang into my thoughts. _Where are you? Everyone's been worried sick! What happened? Are you upset? _

_No, no I'm fine. _I stuttered _It's alright I'm coming back to Feinister now I'll see you in a little while. _

_No I'm coming to get you! _He exclaimed and I knew he wouldn't let me out of his sight for the next twenty four hours. He broke away from my thoughts and I knew now he would be in the sky heading in my direction. I groaned and shook my head before rising back to my feet with such grace that I surprised myself. I tucked a lock of my obscurely golden hair behind my ear and it was then that I felt my pointed ears. I don't mean slightly pointed like mine had gradually been getting after the last few months but properly pointed. My hands slightly shook as I felt the tips in a kind of trance for almost a minute I was only snapped out of it because I realised that I had stopped breathing. I gasped as I in took a massive gulp of air. I had changed. I now also realised that I could hear the tiniest movements in the undergrowth like a mouse scraping at the dirt wall of its burrow several meters away underneath the earth. A bird's wing beats as It flapped through the sky high above. As I investigated my other senses I found them thrumming. I could smell the tracks of animals where they had passed hours or days ago on. I reached over and plucked a hazel leaf from its branch and just by touch I could count all of the individual little hairs upon its surface. I gazed around and about a hundred meters away I watched as a beetle scuttled its way across a dead leaf on the ground. Right then I truly dreaded what my face looked like but I also didn't want to know. I still wanted an untarnished picture of my old self in my mind, not some false alien one but I knew I couldn't evade my reflection forever. I took a deep breath and I listened to the sound of Elzar's wing beats in the distance as they grew closer and closer. I stayed frozen in place as he landed with some difficulty. I heard the disturbance of every leaf as it fluttered in the wind of his wings. His body size now was about that of an adolescent elephant as long as he had his wings folded away. His scales shone like rows of gleaming emeralds in the sunlight and he hurriedly padded over to me and I felt concern radiating from his mind.

_Evie?! _And I turned to face him straight on, letting my hair fall away from around my face. He froze for a second then moved closer to me again.

_Oh little one… _He cooed in a comforting voice. Normally I would have been annoyed at me for calling me that. He stole the saying off of Saphira and it was exceptionally patronizing but right now I was grateful for the comfort. I found tears prickling my eyes again as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him for all I was worth which now was a lot.

_Uh…_ He stuttered _That's a bit tight!_

_Sorry_ I said and I loosened my grip.

_Home _He said. _You have a lot of explaining to do. _And boy did I know it.

**I am sooo sorry about the seriously long chapter. Evie wrote this in two parts right before she left for france, so there is only one more chapter saved to my computer after this one. I was thinking of writing a chapter for evie, but am not sure. If you would like me to write the chapter please say so. **

**Don't forget to review!!!**


	30. Chapter 30

_I was hidden from the fake king, out of reach of his magicks, yet still I myself wanted to die. My mother was tied to the chair, and I was hidden in the corner, wishing I could do something, anything. I felt like I had been here before, yet I couldn't place why I felt this. Then my mother looked, yet it wasn't my mother. He didn't have long hair. It was someone else, a man. With silver hair and eyes green as the lushes forests. It was… _

_My father. _

_My world collapsed around me as I looked into his eyes. He was silently begging the king to kill him, to take him away from the pain, and yet this fake king showed no mercy. _

"_father!" I found myself crying out, getting up out of my hiding place. The king turned quickly to face me, his expression one of surprise. "father…" I sobbed as I flung up my arms, throwing the man who had purposely hurt my father against the wall, where he slumped down and was still. I heard guards running towards me, surrounding me and my father. I let out another sob, knowing that I couldn't save myself or father. There were just too many of them. I put my hands up, admitting surrender, and felt two guards pull me to the floor, pinning me there. I knew what would happen next, but didn't care. I had failed myself and my father. It was over…_

Someone shook me and I sat up quickly on a lumpy mattress. I opened my eyes, intending to find out who the stranger was, but it was still dark. I gasped but instead of saying anything I wormed my way into the intruder's brain, seeking out whether or not they intended to hurt me. The girl was named megan, a human with more power than any human should. She knew me, though I did not know her.

"I'm blind." I told her, reaching a hand to her face. "why am I blind?" the emotions she was radiating told me she was frowning.

"Lana, you okay?" she asked and I scanned the room. There were two others here, both human and both different in their own way. Both were asleep. "Lana!" she said again, though I didn't know the name. She shook my shoulders. "Hey!" she said, as If trying to snap me out of something.

"My name is Lafniar of Elesmera, not this La-na you speak of." told her, trying to pronounce the word right. It was a strange name, a HUMAN name. Not my name. I was an elf. Was this another of Galbatorix's tricks? To think I was alive, but blind. A human. megan let go of my shoulders. She got off the bed I was sat on and went to the other side of the room, to where the other girls were sleeping. She woke each in turn, kneeling beside them as she did. I scanned their minds also, but both had mental blocks that could take hours to struggle through. I was suddenly interrupted by a searing pain. It threw my focus as it rocketed around my body, growing in strength till it was almost to much to bare.

"please!" I found myself call out, my voice thick with pain. "I did not mean to hurt you, my lord. I know nothing! I just want my father…" I sobbed into the darkness that was closing in on me, getting impossibly dark till I could no longer remember what light was. As quickly as it had come the pain had gone. I relaxed my trembling muscles, wondering if galbatorix was simply pausing or if he thought I was of no use any longer.

"Lafniar?" asked a foreign voice, a woman. Her voice held great power, and also worry. I looked around the darkness, searching in vain for any light. Giving up the desperate attempt I instead searched round with my mind, feeling many different people in the room. I chose one who was stood behind me, the girl named Scoble. Her mind was blocked only a little, and as soon as I pushed against her block she let me in, drawing me to her. I quickly took control of her body, using it to look round the room. It was a small room. I was sat perfectly still on a small armchair with my eyes closed. Inside our head Scoble screamed, begged for her body back. I soothed her. _I am so sorry._ I told her earnestly. _I can't see. All is dark where I am. Please, just for a while. _I begged and felt her mentally nod. I liked this girl, she was reasonable, kind. I silently thanked her before looking round the room again. The colours stood out to her eye, her eyesight better than that of a human and almost as good as an elf's. it felt as if I had seen this room we were stood in before, but not for a long time.

"who are you?" I asked, hearing her voice for the first time. Everyone turned to look at us, all frowns and 'why is she speaking. The elf figured it out first.

"Lafniar, please. What has happened to you?" she asked and it was my turn to shrug. Around us the other people began to realize what had happened. I ignored the question.

"who are you!" I demanded this time, and it seemed to have the desired effect.

"lana, its us. Your friends. Please lana." The girl megan said and I was so stunned that I was suddenly back in my own body. Scoble sighed and I stood up, rushing for the door before anyone could stop me.

Out on the street I carried on going as quickly as I could, but I knew it wouldn't be fast enough. I was weakened and within a minute the other elf that had been in the room had caught up to me.

"Lafniar, we will not hurt you."she told me in the language of the elfs, grabbing my arm so I couldn't run again. I had no choice but to belive her.

"please, just let me leave." I begged her, and after a few seconds she let go of my arm and stepped away from me. "thankyou, you wont regret this." I told her, before turning away and walking towards the edge of the city, the trees calling out to me as I did.

I walked deeper and deeper into the forest and didn't stop until the heat from the suns rays ceased to excist and it started to get colder, telling me the sun had long since set. I stopped in a large clearing and sat cross legged in the centre of it, before readhing out with my mind and sensing all of the small creatures around me. I opened myself to them, learning there secrets.

I was pulled from my medative state when I felt two beings approach. They were enemy minds, not belonging to anyone from Feinister. I knew that they had spotted me, and that there was no use trying to hide, so I simply sat and waited for them to get me. When they were close enough I finally realized that the two minds were really one, or rather that they completed each other. They were dragon rider and dragon. That was when the distinct sound of wing beats reached my ears. My worst nightmares had come true, and yet all I could do was sit here and wait for them to come and get me.

Sorry everyone that's the last chapter saved to my laptop so far. Im also sorry if my writing was rubbish and that it was seriously short compared to the last chapter, though maybe that's a good thing. I will try and update as soon as possible, but don't expect anything soon. Again I am sorry.

Don't forget to review, cause I read every single one and so does evie!!


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer--- hahahahaha... you make me laugh...

We walked back to Feinster and all the way there my hand was placed on Elzar's as he comforted me and I drew my hair self-consciously across my face.

_Don't worry _He chided every time he felt my nerves bubbling into him. His soothing tone calmed me a little bit but then the nerves only came back stronger than ever. What would everyone's reactions be? People in the streets of Feinster would point and stare all muttering hushed whispers behind my back and then what would me friends reactions be? And Arya's, Eragon's and Nasuada's? No doubt the elves would interrogate me about what happened and try to make some logic out of it. Personally thinking about what had just happened made my head hurt so I desperately tried to focus on the present.

All too soon the gates loomed over us and they swung open to let us pass, the massive oak doors casting clouds of dust from the dry earth. I lent in closer to Elzar and I heard him humming softly deep within his chest, so quietly you almost had to press your ear to his scales to hear it. My efforts at trying to keep a low profile all the way to Ruby's house made no difference what so ever. People stared, the women enviously and the men as if they were somehow entranced. I even got whistled at once or twice but I just about to manage to ignore all of the remarks and stares. As soon as I rounded the end of the street to Ruby's house I instantly forgot all my troubles. Something was wrong at the house, badly wrong. Not just because of the tense and anxious atmosphere that seemed to hang about the place but Scoble paced back and forth outside the door, wearing a path into the dust and Arya stood placidly in the doorway. I managed to see through her calm and collected face though, I had gotten to know her after the last month or two and underneath she was tense, like a coiled spring and a tiny crease on her forehead indicated her worries. My pace increased as soon as I saw them and I hurried down the street with Elzar padding along quickly by my side. I could feel that he sensed the tense and worried atmosphere as well.

_What do you thinks wrong? _I asked him, not trying to hide the anxiety that was now seeping its way back into my voice.

_I do not know… _He replied in a hesitant voice and I saw faint flickers of his vision as scrutinised the scene before him. _Everything was calm when I left._

Arya looked up as we approached and I saw the way she frowned when her eyes fell on my face that was curtained with golden locks of curling hair. I ignored her and switched my gaze over to Scoble who had stopped pacing at our sudden arrival, apparently she noticed the difference in me too and as she was squinting at me as if she was trying to get herself to believe what she was seeing. As we came within talking distance I was the first to speak.

"What happened?" I gasped and I peeked in through the doorway into the small house's dark interior. I saw Caitlain, Megan and Ruby all gathered on the chairs in the sitting room anxiously glancing over at each other as if they were lost in the current situation and not sure what to do with themselves. As soon as they saw me they smiled uncertainly and they began to make their way outside.

"What happened to you more like?!" Scoble scoffed.

"I don't, don't know… I don't really understand what happened it was so…" I came to an abrupt stop as I suddenly felt Arya's soft touch on my cheek, I was just about able to stop myself from recoiling from the sudden tenderness and my scared and anxious eyes flickered up to hers beside me. She didn't remove her hand she just stood there, looking at me as if I was a puzzle she was trying to figure out. Finally she tucked a lock of my hair that was hanging down over my face behind one of my now fully pointed ears and stood back.

"The power of the dragons never fails to astound me" She alleged "Just when I thought I had seen it all something else comes along and changes the entire way we see and understand magic"

"Yea…" I stuttered, trying to turn the subject away from me and my sudden magic surgery. "What's wrong? When I was walking towards you everyone seemed to be on edge"

"Ah, yes…" Arya mumbled as if she didn't really want me to know. "I have worries for Lanifar… She woke from a deep slumber not all that long ago but she could not remember us, any of us. Not me, Scoble or Caitlain…"

Evidently the shock was apparent on my face and Arya stopped talking as she gazed back down at me bearing an expression of concern.

"Tell me" I insisted when she did not carry on, I then felt an obscure pulse of anger when I saw in her face that she didn't want me to know, she didn't think it was necessary for me to know. She didn't want me to know that one of my best friends was in serious danger because she knew me and she knew that me and Elzar would almost certainly go after her and she didn't think it was worth the risk. We were too precious.

"Tell me" I repeated this time with a bitter edge to my tone.

"I don't know where she went…" She continued reluctantly. "She just ran she ran away… She was out of her mind! You must understand it's way too dangerous to go after her! She forgot who she was! She could be vicious or rabid!"

Elzar was thinking along the same lines as me, annoyed at Arya's protection over us.

_They would bind us in chains to keep us here, safe from them…_ He spoke in my mind and I instantly saw the truth in his words.

"She's still my friend" I growled to Arya and before she had time to do anything about it I leapt onto Elzar's side, gripping the leather straps that bound his saddle to his back then as I heaved myself up his powerful muscles propelled us into the sky.

"It's too dangerous!" Arya yelled after us "Come back! You could both get yourselves killed!" But her words were meaningless screams to me and they were blown away in the north easterly wind. As soon as the endless stretch of land was rolled out before me I knew the search would be impossible, Lana was an elf capable of running faster and further than any human and in a place like this she could be anywhere by now. With my new discriminating vision I slowly spun my head, scouring the surrounding forest, wastelands and the rolling waves of the ocean to the west, glittering in the shafts of the suns radiant light as it descended over the horizon. I dwelled on the beautiful serene scene for several seconds before Elzar let out a sudden choked snort and he halted his flight and hovered several hundred feet above the ground. I felt his desperate anxious mind worming its way into mine and I immediately let him.

_What is it?! _I queried, shocked by his sudden change of temperament.

_To the north… _Elzar's voice was lashed with hatred with the odd edge of fear. _It's them…_ It took a second for it to occur to me who he was talking about as I scrutinized the distance to the north and my stomach doubled as I saw the faint retreating silhouette. It was small even to me to the point at which it looked like a seabird but then the light of the sunset made Thorns scales flare a vibrant deep scarlet as if he were a speck of flame burning against the purple sky.

"Oh god…" I whispered out loud as the wind blew my hair out behind me. "Why are they here?!" I said my voice shaking, but I could only think of one reason. Murtagh had already gotten what he wanted.

"Lana…" I whispered. I knew she had a feud against the king and he had one against her ever since he murdered her mother and he obviously hadn't liked the fact that she had got away the last time and now he wanted to finish the job.

_After them! _I said with bitter determination in my voice some of which was Elzar's. He didn't need telling twice and he surged and the wind lashed at my clothes and my hair fluttered violently around my face, blinding me so I tied it up into a rugged ponytail with the strip of green ribbon I had in my pocket. I then lowered myself in the saddle as to reduce air resistance, hoping that it would make our flight that little bit faster. I knew then though that our efforts would be in vain, we were probably gaining on them now but as soon as we grew near Thorn would notice and fly ahead, him being three times the size of Elzar his speed would be no match for him. As we began to gain ground Elzar flew down along the forest just above the tree canopies using them as camouflage with his green hide but we were still a long distance away and I knew that if they looked we would still be easy to spot. The flight went on for hours and I felt each of Elzar's wing beats becoming more and more laboured underneath me, he couldn't keep up the pace for much longer and eventually the inevitable happened and Thorn and Murtagh must have somehow become aware of our presence and they slipped away, fading away into the night which now enveloped us. Elzar pushed on, I knew it would dent his pride to give in but eventually I managed to push some sense into him saying that we needed rest if we ever stood a chance of getting Lana back and he glided down into a clearing in the trees at the very southern tip of Leona Lake. The night was clear and uncharacteristically bright as the full moon lit up the sky and its silver light reflected off the lake then I realised that the unusual brightness was also to do with my new improved eyesight. I released my legs from the straps that held them in place and slid down Elzar's side to the soft ground. I removed the saddle so he was comfortable and went over and placed it over a particularly low bough of an oak tree. I stood motionless after I placed the saddle over the rough gnarled bark and behind me Elzar was silent.

"I'm beginning to think this was not such a good idea" I said, my sudden words sounded loud in the tranquil atmosphere of the surrounding forest.

_It was the right thing… _Elzar replied.

"But was it?" I didn't really mean to say that, it just sort of slipped out. He remained silent. "We can't do this on our own! It was a rash decision that I made! I didn't think about the situation! If we come face to face with Murtagh and Thorn they will thrash us! We can't fight against them and if we somehow come to face Galbatorix…" I trailed off. We had sworn oaths to the Varden so we would be no use to him, Galbatorix only wanted Eragon alive so he could get to Saphira because she was the only female dragon left but Elzar was a boy and Galbatorix had no use for him. So there for I came to the resolution that he would probably kill us. It wouldn't matter to him that I was his daughter anymore, now I was just another rogue rider, a threat that needed to be vanquished. I forgot to cloak the thoughts so Elzar shared them.

"We can't do this alone!" I whispered. I finally turned and looked Elzar in one of his big green eyes and he stared back, resolute. I sighed and pulled off my boots before padding down to the water's edge. I sat on the bank and let the tiny waves lap at my toes. I sat there for several minutes blissfully enjoying the sensation of the cool water until Elzar joined me by my side.

_Everything will be alright_ He sounded so sure he gave me hope. _Lana will be fine. _I smiled grateful of his company and his words of comfort and I rested my head on his great scaled shoulder. I felt his soft warm breath tickle the back of my neck as he craned his and nuzzled the top of my head, ruffling my hair.

_Look in the water... _He said softly.

"What?!" I asked

_You can't escape yourself forever… _He said explaining his former words. _This is who you are now, what images you have in your mind are only memories._ I knew the truth in his words, I was overly curious to see what I looked like now but I was also dreading it I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

_See who you are… _Elzar said and I shifted onto my knees, keeping my eyes closed then shuffled forward. I hesitated just as I was about to lean over the waters glassy surface.

_It's alright… Don't be afraid._ Elzar whispered in my thoughts but I was afraid and I wasn't exactly sure why. I leant forward once more and plunged my wrists into the icy water to support myself before waiting several seconds for the ripples to fade only then did I let my eyes flutter open. First shock overcame me then defiance, this couldn't be me, I didn't want this to be me. I felt pebbles squeezing their way through the gaps in between my fingers as I clenched my hands below the water's surface. I gave a shudder and my arms sent out ripples, slightly distorting the image. The ribbon held back the torrent of hair that shone like spun gold in the silver moonlight but a couple of long wisps had escaped and they framed my delicate looking face. My features were refined; elven but my humans traits shone through as well enhanced by magic to make them more beautiful than they would be on any other person. My golden blonde hair gleamed as it curled in the moons light and my eyes shined pure blue with a bright vibrancy to them but they also had depth that any man could lose himself in, a depth which hid secrets and bore wisdom and beauty. My eyelashes were dark and they curved exotically upwards, framing my transfixing eyes. My pale complexion was flawless and there was rosy pink hint on my cheeks and my lips were flushed a deep red, red as a rose… The sight became too much for me to bear and I bought my right hand up in one ferociously quick movement and slashed it across the lakes surface and the image immediately disappeared. I was on my feet in a flash and I stalked back into the trees, my chest heaving and every inch of me was tense. I let out a shriek and thumped a near thin tree branch. Normally the branch being as it was quite sturdy would have just quivered then settled again but now it splintered and almost completely severed itself, only a few sinewy bits of wood kept it hanging on. I ignored it then slumped at the base of the oak tree and buried my head in my hands as if I was trying to hide my tears from myself, who I was more than anybody. Elzar knew it was best to leave me. This was a problem I needed to resolve by myself.

_I shall go hunting. _He said and I acknowledged his words with a faint nod then I heard him take to the air and the leaves on the trees rustled as he swept away over their branches. I was left alone to contemplate my thoughts whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I did not know. I growled then got to my feet again and began to pace back and forth, releasing my pent up energy. I didn't know quite why my appearance got to me, Lana and Arya managed to live with being so drop dead gorgeous men would swoon at their feet and I wasn't even as pretty as them, I was still part human after all but maybe that was what made me more striking than them when it came to humans. I wasn't a different species and there was a human touch about me; no, I was human but I was more beautiful than any normal human girl.

"Oh god!" I groaned. I knew every girl dreamed of being beautiful, even I used to but now I was I didn't exactly want to be. Suddenly my stomach rumbled, sounding alarmingly loud in the almost silent trees. I laughed at myself, realising how hungry I was and then walked into the trees in the direction of a thicket I saw several hundred meters away. I had to admit though my transformation wasn't all bad; in fact it had been rather useful so far. I could see in the dark well and my eyesight was keener than any mortal man's allowing me to spot faint things in the very far distance. Right then it helped me to find the ripe blackberries on the bramble bushes. My strength had already been displayed when I broke the tree branch but I hadn't yet experimented with my speed, or my flexibility but I guessed they would be similar to that of an elf's. The birds had eaten a lot of the nicest ones but I still managed to satisfy my rumbling belly with the amount I got and I returned to the clearing with stained fingers. I stood in the centre of the clearing wondering what to do until Elzar came back, I would find it difficult to sleep without his warmth and I didn't want to build a fire in case I attracted attention. Suddenly something hit me from the side, or rather someone and sent me catapulting down to the earth several meters away. The breath was knocked out of me as my back slammed into the hard earth. I gasped to get my breath back and my eyes snapped open to see Becker's handsome face smiling back down into mine. I tried to scream in delight but my chest went into a painful spasm and I realised I had been winded badly.

"Oh gosh I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?!" Becker exclaimed and he offered me his hand and I gratefully took it and he pulled me to my feet.

"Just a little winded!" I smiled faintly and I wrapped my arms around my aching chest.

"I'm sorry I was going to fast when I tried to land!" Becker apologized.

"No really its fine! I'm used to getting bumped about nowadays! I'll be fine again in a minute!"

_Evie?! _Elzar suddenly exclaimed butting into my thoughts. _What's happening? Who's there? Are you alright?!_

_I'm fine! _I replied

_Who's there?! _He repeated

_Come and see for yourself!_ I said and I pulled away from him. I snapped back to the present to see Becker watching me questioningly.

"Dragon rider talk!" I explained smiling and shaking my head.

"Ok!" He laughed.

"Oh my god it's so good to see you!" I squealed and I hugged him for several seconds then he moved away and held me at arm's length.

"You… you…" He stuttered "You look…" He stopped to pause as if he couldn't think of what to say. He eventually settled with the words "A bit different!"

"Oh god yea!" I groaned, suddenly remembering again and I hung my head. "Don't remind me!" I suddenly felt his fingers on my chin and he gently lifted my head up back to face him. He smiled at me before softly moving my head from side to side so he could inspect every angle.

"Please don't!" I laughed as he began to delicately pick up locks of my hair in his hands and eyeing them as if to say 'what the hell?!'

"You know what?!" He said dropping the last pinging curl and moving back to look me in the eye. "You never fail to astound me!"

"Neither do you!" I exclaimed, playfully shoving him back, taking great care to make sure I didn't send him flying into the bushes. "You were supposed to be going home! And then you turn up here! And if you're here where's Abby, Conner and the Doctor?!"

"Oh they're coming but you know I just tend to leave them behind!"

"Why, why didn't you go home?!" I asked staring back at him intently.

"Uh…" He started to stutter again and he looked away like he was pretending to inspect something in the bushes. "We, we didn't find an anomaly. We scoured the whole landscape for weeks on end and our detectors eventually ran out of battery and soon as one of us wasn't a witch there was no means of charging it back up. We continued trying to find one without them; we searched in the depths of Du Weldenvarden and all over the empire, in the Spine and in the Beors but none turned up…" He trailed off again when he found himself looking back at me. The awkward situation was helped by the fact that just then Elzar arrived back. I smiled at Becker before turning around to watch him glide gracefully over the trees causing the leaves to rustle faintly then he came swooping in from over the lake and touched down on the ground with a gentle thud. I grinned and I bounded over to hug him, wrapping my arms around his thickly muscled neck; his rough scales rubbing against my cheek.

"HELL HES GROWN!" Becker yelled from behind us.

_What did you think I would do? Shrink? _

"Uh… No, not exactly" Becker stammered, blushing and I laughed at his awkwardness. "I just didn't expect you to grow so fast" He said finally finding the right words. I smiled and I led his over to the base of the oak tree where moss carpeted floor was slightly comfier then it was anywhere else and we sat down.

"You have to tell us everything!" I exclaimed, intrigued to know every detail of his story and Elzar settled beside us then rested his great green head on the ground and locked Becker in his transfixing green eyed stare.

"I'm interested to know your story actually" and Becker looked at me. "I bet it was a lot more interesting than mine. I've practically told you everything already!"

Suddenly I detected a distant rustling in the undergrowth then the faint thudding of three pairs of feet running in our direction.

"Is that…" I began.

"I think it is!" Becker smiled and we got up to greet Abby, Conner and the Doctor as they ran into the clearing. I squealed and threw myself at each of them in turn and they stood there bewilderedly as they received my crushing hugs. I held back slightly when I came to the Doctor knowing he wasn't as durable as Abby and Conner were. He laughed as I hugged him close to me.

"Heya!" He laughed in my ear.

"Oh it's good to see you!" I replied, not letting go.

"Uh, you can let go now" He said, indicating that he was struggling to breathe.

"Oh sorry!" I smiled and I backed away.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed getting a good look at my face for the first time.

"Oh god!" I groaned again, getting sick of people's reactions. "Yes I look different can everyone get over it already!?"

"Hey…!" Abby said, looking herself "You look beautiful!"

"Now you fit right in with the vampires and the Elves!" Conner sniggered. Him saying that made me actually feel a bit better.

"What happened?!" The doctor asked. Evidently magic wasn't in his broad band of knowledge and he was desperate to soak up the new information.

"Well I was just about to tell Becker the story so I guess you can all listen" I smiled and I sat back down in between Elzar and Becker.

"And I guess this is…" Abby said politely turning to Elzar.

_Elzar…_ He asserted for all to hear. Abby grinned.

"Nice name!" She said. "You remember us…"

_Of course! _He replied _Unlike humans all dragons memories are clear and distinct, not warped by time or imagination. _

Abby smiled and nodded then sat down by us looking over expectantly at me to begin.

"Well… Uh…" I began. I started from where we had parted then told them of how Caitlain and Megan somehow managed to leave me behind and I had to find my way with Elzar to Feinster myself. Then me meeting Eragon, going to the Varden, being reunited with all my friends then undergoing my training. I told them a couple of funny tales about what we got up to, to preoccupy ourselves in our spare time which they all laughed at, especially the time at the summer solstice feast where me and Megan got drunk and thought it would be funny to cover all the dwarves war hammers in the armoury with strawberry moose. Then I got to the bit about my transformation. I wasn't exactly good at explaining what happened soon as I didn't really know what happened myself, many people didn't know yet as I suppose it had only been a few hours ago though it felt like much longer. I guessed Eragon and Saphira would be out searching for us along with several of the elves. Several times in the tale Elzar chipped in with small details I had forgotten or parts he thought were better from his perspective.

"So why…" Conner began "Why exactly are you here?"

"Ummm… Well… I don't really know myself, it's all so complicated" I replied. "I came back from the forest with Elzar and found everyone at the house was on edge, something had happened. I managed to extract the information from Arya that Lana had gone crazy or something, I denied the suggestion at first but I knew that Arya wouldn't lie. Apparently she had forgotten who she was and had run away. Even though Arya objected we went out to search for her and me and Elzar took to the skies. I only scoured the sky for several seconds before seeing the shape of Thorn against the horizon and I knew he had Lana. I didn't think, we didn't think, we just took off after them. We flew for hours we gained on them at first but Thorn is a more mature dragon, stronger and faster and eventually they slipped away. I managed to persuade Elzar to rest for the night and this is where we landed and then Becker bumped into me! QUITE LITERALLY!" I exclaimed glaring at him and a small smirk danced across his lips.

"Sorry!" He mumbled for the umpteenth time.

"Yea…" I continued "And that's just about where you came in!"

"Your story is certainly a lot more interesting than ours!" Abby smiled to me and Elzar.

"I would have certainly preferred it if it hadn't been so eventful!" I sighed with a slight smirk and I let my eyes drift to the darkness in between the trees them they gradually unfocused as I let myself be absorbed by my memories.

"I really don't know what I'm going to do…" I whispered "I can't abandon Lana but I really don't think I can get her back either"

"We'll help you!" Abby volunteered kindly and she placed one of her pale hands on top of mine where it rested on the ground beside me.

"We will?!" Conner squeaked from beside her.

"Yes we will!" Abby growled and she elbowed him in the ribs. I guessed if any normal person had received the blow they would now have several broken ribs.

"Ow…!" Conner moaned, rubbing his side and we all laughed.

"Thanks!" I smiled, the gratitude that went with the word came from deep inside me.

I am very sorry this chapter took so long, but everyone can blame evie not me. I didn't even realize she was writing conner, abbie, becker and the doctor back into the story, but i admit it is a good touch. I did tell evie she should go and watch the smallville series, or at least a few episodes of it because she doesn't have a clue when it comes to superman. The next chapter might take a while as well because we are both going back to school in a couple of days and are going to be extra busy. I hope you liked this chapter anyway, and don't forget to review!!!!


	32. Chapter 32

I slept without dreams all through the night. It was peaceful, I could hear the wind moving gently through the room, but I was slightly cold in the thin, thread bare quilt. My body shocked me awake, the muscles that had been aching slightly now flared white hot. I sat up straight and gasped as I rocketed out of unconsciousness. The wind battered my face so hard I had to close my watering eyes, and I knew instantly that I was no longer in the house I had gone to sleep in. There was a constant beating loud in my ears and a rocking motion. I sensed around me as I had become accustomed to and found that I was sat, of all things, on a dragon. The dragon's rider was sat behind me, and he had already realized I was awake.

"Finally awake then?"He asked me, but I had no intention of answering him. "Fine." You know your friends were trailing us for a while, but we lost them. I wasn't scared. That idiot girl shouldn't kid herself. She will never be a half the dragon rider I or even Eragon is. She entered the race late, she shouldn't dream of catching up." He said. I recognized him as Murtagh, though I had been almost certain he was in love with Evie.

"I would be carful if I was you." I told him. "Friendship is a powerful thing and arrogance can kill." The way I said it was bitter, and he seemed both surprised and slightly scared. That was when I noticed the absence of most emotions. When I looked harder I ran into a wall. I mean I literally went head first straight into a brick wall. I quickly found a week spot in defences that shouldn't be there and before I knew it emotions and thoughts were streaming around me. It was only then that I realized what I had just done. And what Galbatorix had done. He had spelled his best evil minion. Galbatorix couldn't trust his own drone. I was brought back to the present when I was hit over the head, hard. I gripped hold of the saddle I was certain I wouldn't fall from my precarious perch.

"What the hell did you do!?!" Murtagh half asked half shouted behind me. That was when I realized it was him who had hit me.

"Hey!!" I shouted back at him, annoyed. "I just HELPED you! What did you do that for!?!" I didn't expect an answer, and I didn't get one either. After a while I dropped my head forward, concentrating on trying to sense my friends, to see if they were coming to get me, but either they far away for me to sense or they had hidden themselves from anyone trying to find them magically, because I couldn't find them. I soon settled into a deep slumber that I had learned from the humans I had lived with for years, and was shaken awake by Murtagh. I opened my eyes and sat up, noting the tilt of the earth and the feeling of gaining speed. We were going down. My nightmares were coming to greet me as I imagined the king's palace spread out in front of me, filling me with dread. But there was nothing I could do about it, I was high in the air with no way of escape. Before I could think of what I was doing, I slipped from the saddle, tipping sideways until finally there was no saddle beneath me, I was simply free falling. The trees scratched at my skin on the decent, and all the time I was gaining speed, getting closer and closer to the ground. The dull thud resounded through my whole body.

There was no pain just a blissful sort of peace. I happily basked in it for a while until finally the thought that I should be doing something got to me. I sat up and sensed around me, trying to remember where I had fallen asleep. Then everything came back to me, and before I knew it I was scrambling to my feet as quickly as I could, which was actually pretty fast. I sensed around me some more and found that there were many people just a few miles to the left of me, so I made my way in the opposite direction as quickly and silently as possible. I dashed fleetingly in between tree trunks my reflexes enabling me to easily evade each one although I couldn't prevent the low hanging branches that whipped my sides and face. I didn't let my mind think about anything but running as fast as I could and making sure the path was clear, to get as much distance as possible between me and the dark castle that had haunted my dreams for years. It started getting hotter as I ran, telling me the sun was up. My instincts were telling me to flee. I was like a scared animal, the single thought to escape consuming my mind. Dry leaves created a crunching carpet so I would know if anyone was approaching and the crisp dry air blasted refreshingly against my skin. I ran and I ran and I ran. I didn't tire; if anything I ran faster, my heart hammered in my chest so fast I couldn't distinguish one beat from the next. I leapt over streams and boulders so fast they were only a flash in my respected vision, then they were gone. I navigated fallen logs and leapt over a five-meter ravine then I was gone. Rage, fear and desperation consumed me, startled roe deer fled in my presence and rabbits shot into the cover of the bushes. Finally I thought there was a hope of escape, it was a tiny flicker inside of me but it was there, maybe I would be able to evade him but it was then a wall of flame flared into existence, blocking my path. A cry escaped my lips as I felt trees cry out silently to me as fire licked up their trunks. I felt it encircled me, shooting through the forest faster than I could run, consuming all in its wake. Out of desperation I fled back the way I had come but after five hundred meters the flames closed the circle in front of me. I screamed and backed away from them, feeling the blistering heat on my face. The flames were too dense and fierce to try and pass through and all climbable trees to their side were engulfed in the flames. They came through the fire. I didn't know how the raging inferno didn't burn them but they emerged in front of me unscathed. I gasped and my face contorted with rage and sadness as Murtagh approached me with feelings that humans should not be capable of.

"You shouldn't have tried to escape" He growled. The menacing words sent a shiver down my spine and I collapsed, knowing already that the fight was over. He violently yanked me to my feet by the top of my arm and as he did so my mind seemed to shut down, no longer controlled by me, and then...

Nothing.

~*~*~*~

Lana walked along the corridor behind Murtagh, keeping her head down and his slow pace. He stopped outside a room, and she stopped to, waiting for his next instruction. He knocked on the door and there was a slightly frightened sounding 'come in' from inside before he pushed open the door with enough force for it to hit the wall behind it. Murtagh got only a little way in before moving off to the side and gesturing for Lana to step inside. She did so willingly, turning to where she presumed he was standing, but she did not raise her head, it would make no difference anyway.

"You may sleep here for the night. I will come and get you early in the morning, Galbatorix will be needing your assistance tomorrow." He said before exciting the room, leaving Lana stood there with someone she didn't know. She stood there for a few minutes before the woman finally noticed she was there, or she presumed she had only just noticed anyway.

"Miss?" she asked, her voice timid and careful.

"Yes?" Lana replied to her, sensing the girl approaching her. The woman paused.

"Would you like me to you into your nightgown?" she asked, to which Lana nodded. "Okay."

Ten minutes later Lana was lying in bed, the girl watching her with an expression that showed just how curious she was, though Lana didn't notice. Minutes passed and finally the girl left, wondering whether the elf could be trusted and how she would sleep. As far as the maid knew, elves didn't sleep, but Lana did. And that night she had no dreams, no nightmares, it was just black.

**Hey!!!! Wow, this chapter was seriously hard to write. A big thanks to ambrele who has reviewed every single chapter and gave me hope every time. Also, thankyou evie, if your reading this. If your wondering she wrote a little of this because i was really stuck. Hopefully the next chapter will be up shortly, with lots of things going on. Thankyou for reading!!!!!!**

**A message from my cousin cassie, who is sat next to me in my room, making me laugh. Please note she hasn't actually read it yet ::::**

**Yes I may not have read it YET but my cousin is a genius and we make each other laugh everything of hers i've ever read is well worth reading so READ it people! x **

**Don't forget to review!!!!!**


	33. Chapter 33

I woke bathed in a deep green hue. I was stiff from sleeping on the hard ground but my limbs were warm from the heat of Elzar's body who slept deeply beside me. I smiled sleepily and reached up and tenderly traced my fingers along the tendrils of his veined wings causing Elzar to stir at the slight disturbance beside me. He furled his wings into his sides and a bright shaft of morning light shone down on me causing me to wince. He snapped at a magpie as its path of flight took it particularly close to his mouth. He let it go, only startling it and I smiled at the immature edge to his character. There was still some hatchling about him.

"Mornin'" I murmured, rubbing my eyes and getting groggily to my feet. Elzar rose next to me before stretching, his talons clenching in the mossy earth gouging deep grooves in the dirt. I gazed around the clearing to see Abby and Conner smiling at me from the branches of a tree with Becker leaning casually against the trunk. The Doctor was sat at the foot of the tree trunk looking tiered and stiff.

"I fixed breakfast!" Abby said, leaping ever so gracefully down six meters from near the tree canopy then striding across the earth to a small campfire from which a tantalizing smell was drifting. I smiled and walked over to her side.

"What's on the menu?!" I asked, stretching my hands out over the warm flames and rubbing them briskly together.

"Apple and blackberry porridge" She replied with a grin and she bent down to the small pot that was resting in amongst the burning embers and removed the lid and the smell of sweet fruit overwhelmed me.

"Smells nice!" I sighed "But where did you get the pot, the milk and the oats from?!"

"There's a farm several miles away to the east. I only borrowed them!"

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Okay… maybe I stole them but they were rolling in cash, they weren't in poverty!"

"That's alright then" I said and I happily wolfed down the porridge that she placed in front of me in an earthenware bowl. I didn't know how Abby was such a good cook considering she didn't eat normal food and Becker and the Doctor happily ate all of their portions as well while Elzar went off to find his previous nights kill. (He had been interrupted by Becker's sudden arrival) After I had finished I went and sat by the Doctor as we waited for Elzar to return. We sat together on a fallen log and talked about stuff in general and when I say stuff in general I mean stuff in general. He asked me whether I liked fish and chips, what stuff I was taught in school and what my favourite TV show was and was surprised when I told him that I came from a parallel earth where Doctor Who was a television program. He laughed when I told him about the actor who played him, David Tennant and so I had been very confused when he had come strutting into our classroom. And of course I told him about primeval and Ben Mansfield. (I later hit Becker round the head because I found out that he had been listening in on our conversation) I felt Elzar's approaching presence as he returned and as we got up from the log to get ready to go I asked the Doctor one more question.

"Do you like being here?!" I said all of a sudden and he turned to me with an expression of mild shock on his face.

"Yea of course I do!" He said "What made you say that?!"

"Its just I know your used to adventures with brains and technology rather than swords and magic! You somehow… God I cant believe I'm saying this! But you somehow seem a bit out of your depth suddenly this world introduces the prospect of magic which is something you never thought existed before and… What I think I'm saying is you're always used to knowing everything and now you've suddenly found something which is completely different from anything you knew before so… you seem… a bit lost…"

"Me?! Never!" He replied with a grin "I learn new things all the time! Just not often… this different… And an adventure is an adventure and I love adventures!" His grin was infectious and I found myself smiling with him.

"Also…" I said "Right now… aren't you stranded?! The doctor without his TARDIS… It just doesn't really go!"

"I'll get back there somehow…" He said, running his hand down his face, pulling at the skin on his cheeks.

"Where did you leave it?"

"Science technicians store cupboard" He replied and I laughed.

"Mr Edwards is going to get a shock!" Our conversation came to an end as Elzar came in to land gracefully.

"Ready to go!?" Becker asked from behind me.

"One more thing" I said. I had been trying to put it off but I guessed I couldn't any longer; it had to be done. Unsettled nerves twisted in my stomach as I picked up my empty bowl from breakfast that was lying on the ground and went to fill it with some of the lakes sparkling water. My steady hand carried the bowl that was brimming with water over to a stable boulder top several meters away where I set it down and waited for the ripples on its surface to settle. I heard Becker and the Doctor come over and stand behind me, both looking over my shoulder with interest, wondering what I was about to do. I ignored them and swept my hand over the waters now calm surface and muttered the words _Draumr Kopa _and the few extra words that were needed for transmission of sound as Gedway ignasia flared as the magic left my body and seeped into the water. The waters surface blurred then all of a sudden there was an image there of Nasuada bending over a low table, her brow furrowed in thought. On the table top a large map was spread out with large crystal paperweights weighing down the corners and several figurines were placed on different places on the paper, I noticed they were all gathered round a large splodge named, Urû'baen. Battle plans. Just then she noticed me.

"Evie!" She exclaimed and looked over at me. "Oh thank god you're alright! Everyone's on red alert and I've had Eragon and the elves start searching for you"

"That wasn't necessary!" I moaned. "I know I acted rashly but I have everything sorted! Me and Elzar are both alright!"

"ACTED RASHLY!?" Nasuada bellowed, "You could have been killed! I don't think you realize just how crucial your part to play in this war is! Imagine if Murtagh had turned back and captured you as well! You would have jeopardized the entire mission! It was a selfish and reckless act! You were stupid!" I didn't reply but I just dropped my eyes from hers that were awfully undermining. I heard her breathing deeply as I gazed over her shoulder at the bookcase behind her.

"Fine," She finally said, "Just stay there until Arya or Eragon reaches you then you can act in one of their wings as we advance"

"Advance?!" I questioned, meeting her eyes once more.

"We're making our move" She explained "We've waited long enough and now I have decided that the time is right to make our attack. My most skilled battle tacticians and me have been planning for days and we have formed a plan of action which we plan to execute in the next few short weeks, basically as long as it gets to transport an army across the burning plains to Urû'baen. Eragon will escort you back to us as soon as he gets there then you will travel with us to Urû'baen while in the mean time Eragon and the elves will set up a primary plan of attack" As she spoke her words I was desperately trying to hide my anger and frustration. She presumed I was going to stay back and play safe with the rest of her juvenile troops. If there was one thing I couldn't stand more than anything else it was people underestimating me, treating me like a kid, someone who couldn't be trusted to do what was best for their self and needed looking after. I jumped all of a sudden as there was a resounding 'crack' and a large ridged piece of rock from the edge of the boulder came off in my hand. I looked down astoundedly at the chunk of rock lying in my palm realising I had been gripping the edge of the boulder with such force in my frustration it had come right off in my hand. I was shocked by my own strength and I stood gawping at it.

"Is everything alright?!" Nasuada asked, concern apparent on the edge of her voice.

"Yea!" I lied and I leisurely lobbed the hunk of stone into the trees. She eyed me suspiciously before deciding to ignore it and thought it was best to carry on.

"Arya told me about your… transformation" She finally said after pausing several seconds to find the right word. "I must say you look… stunning but I am interested to know what else this magic has done to you. I already know that it has failed to knock some common sense into you"

"I am still discovering myself" I replied truthfully and I smiled pleasantly back at her.

"You must show me in more depth when you return to us. Your new skills may be put to use in this battle and maybe Eragon and Arya could teach you a couple of techniques before they leave to perform the first stage of the plan" There it was again, that sudden surge of frustration and anger. I was just as able as either Eragon or Arya yet they held me back. I felt my fists clenching into tight fists by my sides.

"I expect you to meet me in my tent by tomorrow evening. I have nothing more to say to you"

"Tomorrow evening" I smiled, confirming her meeting and I let the image dissolve back into the water. Tomorrow evening though I would be nowhere near the Varden, I was going to get Lana back whatever it took and I wouldn't be treated like an irresponsible child. I grabbed the bowl and chucked its contents into the surrounding bushes before turning on my heel and sweeping past Becker and the Doctor who were both bearing puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Its time we were going" I said to Elzar as I arrived by his flank. I didn't bother to pack any of the essentials that Abby had mysteriously found I just went over to the low oak tree branch and scooped up Elzar's large saddle.

_Hurry up! _He exclaimed in my mind, anxious to be off.

_I'm hurrying! _I replied with an air of annoyance as I groped with the straps and passed them underneath his belly. _It would help if you weren't so big! _

Elzar growled.

_There! Happy!? _I said, straightening up as I fastened the last strap. Elzar bent low to the ground to aid my climb up into the saddle.

"Ah-hem!" Came a loud cough and I turned to see Becker standing next to us.

"Ah yes…"

What about us?!" He asked.

"You can come if you want to" I said speaking to him "But the others might find it difficult to keep up!"

"Oh fine then! Bye, bye!" Abby exclaimed sarcastically and she turned around in a huff.

"It's not that I don't want you with me!" I said hastily "In fact I really, really want you all with me! We're going to need all the help we can get but I need to get to Urû'baen as fast as possible! Lana's life could depend on it! Please say you understand!" Abby slowly turned back to face us.

"I understand!" She smiled "We'll be right behind you!" She nodded to Becker indicating that she thought it was alright for him to accompany me.

"Thank you!" I smiled.

_Have you finished tarrying?! Before we know it Eragon and Saphira will be here ready to escort us back! _Elzar snapped.

_Yes sorry! _I apologized quickly. "You ready for the off?!" I asked Becker.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" He replied and everyone backed off as Elzar unfurled his great wings and buffeted the surrounding air, propelling us into the sky. I glanced down at the ground and waved at Abby, Connor and the Doctor as Becker leapt into the air beside them. He was at our side in seconds.

_Mind my wings or I will smash you out of the air._ Elzar growled at him.

"I don't think he likes you very much!" I said in a stage whisper to Becker who had veered away a bit. He grinned in response a kept his distance as we flew onwards.

The hours crept past painfully slowly; Elzar was flying as fast as he could while having to maintain the speed over a great distance. We only stopped to relieve ourselves but other than that we just kept going. I wondered whether once Eragon and Saphira had worked out where we had gone they would come after us, I figured that they probably would which made us fly all the faster. Becker easily kept up if anything we were slowing him down. He seemed to have no limit to his fatigue and some of the speeds he could reach were immense. A couple of times when I was practically dying of boredom he would swoop way from us then perform some aerobatic movements to keep me entertained but it didn't seem to help Elzar's foul mood. It puzzled me why he didn't like Becker. Maybe he just thought it was wrong a human could fly without the aid of a dragon. I say human, Becker was far from it but he looked human anyway. The sun was setting on the second day when Urû'baen eventually came into our sights. Elzar spotted the cityscape on the horizon first of course and he let me into his vision to share the view. As soon as I saw the black twisting spires of the castle my stomach twisted and I shuddered as the bad memories it held entered my mind. Only the thought of Lana possibly being in trouble kept me from asking Elzar to turn and flee then and there. I swallowed my nerves and set my face in a grimace of determination. Becker flew silently by our side, knowing better than to say anything as we rapidly approached the ominous silhouette on the horizon. I felt Elzar tense underneath me and his wing beats became jerkier. He was trying to hide his nerves but he wasn't doing it very well. I knew the place held bad memories for him as well; he had been held captive here by the king in his egg for going on a century. As the towers of the castle became threateningly big, even though we were still several miles away I began to formulate a plan in my mind. I knew Elzar wouldn't be able to help me, he couldn't even go inside the city and I didn't want him being put in danger in one of my stupid plans. Becker could help me though. I ran through the plan with Elzar. He didn't like it of course but even he had to admit it was the best option if we were going to try and get Lana back. Scared of being spotted we landed at the edge of the trees that spread a mile or two from the bank of the Ramr river. I gave Elzar a hug that lasted a lot longer than necessary and when I finally pulled away he said

_I want you all back in one piece. And if you get any hassle from Murtagh call me and I'll come and decapitate him for you. _

I smiled at his attempt to ease my nerves then kissed the scales on his forehead.

_I promise. _I replied with a smile touching my lips. He turned and exchanged a few brief words with Becker which he kept deliberately hidden from me. Probably something along the lines of 'stop her from doing anything stupid' I retrieved my bow and quiver from where they were tied to Elzar's saddle and checked my sword at my side and my hidden dagger in the rim of my boot. All seemed to be in working order. I pulled out my cloak from where it was tucked into one of the saddle bags and tied it round my shoulders. I hadn't worn it often, what with summer just passing and it being the one I had gotten from Urû'baen all those months ago. It wasn't the best thing to wear as it would probably make me stand out from the crowd but I didn't have enough and it was better if a guard saw this rather than my face. I clasped the broach at my neck and Becker came over and put his arms around me.

_You drop her and you're dead. _Elzar growled as he settled edgily on the ground.

"I wont" Becker smiled reassuringly in reply and he leapt into the sky with a sickening lurch. Whenever I flew with him I seemed to leave my stomach behind. It was so much different from riding a dragon. It seemed so much more insecure. i tightened my arms around his neck as we flew low over the ground, unsettlingly low. We were only at about tree height to prevent any prying eyes from the castle spotting us. Small hillocks and trees flashed past in a blur and the wind whipped my hair out behind me. It was at least five miles to the city but Becker being superman we got there in about four minutes. He landed in a small copse of dense trees and bushes several hundred meters from the western gates.

"Are you okay?!" He asked as he put me down and pulled his hands away.

"Yea I think so" I replied, running my finger through my thoroughly knotted hair, trying to work some of them out. Once I was happy I pulled the hood up over my head.

"Ready?!" I asked Becker, running my eyes up and down him. He was wearing a pair of breeches, dark brown boots and a white cloth shirt. He didn't have a cloak or anything to hide his face but I supposed none of the guards were going to recognize him.

"Sure" He breathed and we nervously walked out from in between the trees. Luckily it was sunset and we had just enough time to get in the gates before they shut for the night. We walked along the city wall all the time I felt Elzar's anxious presence at the edge of my mind analysing every move we made. The ramparts along the wall were lined with archers preventing us from flying over as we would be shot out of the air by a volley of arrows. It wasn't long until we arrived at the portcullis and dread formed in my stomach when I saw that it was heavily guarded. Obviously Galbatorix hadn't taken kindly to the fact that I had managed to escape from underneath his nose.

"Oh god… Becker!" I squeaked.

"It's alright just remember keep your calm and if you want I'll do the talking"

I nodded silently and I had to forcefully place one foot in front of the other as we approached the gates. I drew the large silky hood of the cloak further over my head so it hid my face in shadows. I averted my gaze from the patrolling guards and stared down at the dirt I didn't even look up when the first guard addressed Becker.

"Good evening sir! May I ask your purpose for your visit to this city and why you are doing it so late in the evening?!" The mans voice was low and deep and from my view of the ground I could see a pair of highly polished steel boots.

"Umm..." Becker hesitated. "I'm visiting my new mother in law, we're newly weds you see" He said and he put an arm round my shoulders and hugged me to his side. "Been travelling all day, come all the way from Dras-Leona we have" I desperately wanted to slap him but I managed to restrain myself. Only just.

"Where'd be your horses?!" He asked.

"We left them picketed in a field all not that far away. Better then paying them to be stabled over night"

"Hmm…" The guard said obviously summing us up.

"If you wouldn't mind we would like to try and get a room in an inn before nightfall" Becker said too hurry him up.

"Fine" The guard replied "Be on with you! I have better things to be doing tonight" and he waved us on. As soon as we were round the corner I shoved him away.

"Newly weds?!" I exclaimed.

"I was improvising!" Becker replied looking a bit flustered.

"Well couldn't we have been brother and sister?!"

"We don't look like brother and sister" He pointed out.

"Do we look like newly weds either?!" I shrieked "Actually no. Don't answer that!" And I stormed off down the rapidly darkening street.

"Wait!" Becker suddenly said in a loud whisper.

"What?!" I replied impatiently.

"You might want to see this" He said and I noticed he was looking at a large sheltered display board on the wall of what looked like a chapel. I approached wearily until I was stood by his side then I gasped at what I saw on the board. It was a picture of me. A simple line sketch drawing but it was a good likeness of me before my transformation. My face was set in a solemn look as if the artist had been trying to make me look like a criminal like they had Eragon and Roran whose posters were pinned up beside mine but it just didn't work. I some how looked sweet and innocent. My eyes switched to the text underneath. 'Convicted for treason. The king will bestow an earldom for her live capture however her death will result in prison sentence'

"Blimey!" I muttered as I compared my notice to Eragon's and Roran's. Both mine and Eragon's demanded live capture when Roran's did not and his ransom was only 20,000 crowns. It had doubled since he had been in Narda but I supposed he had accomplished a lot more but Eragon and me were both worth Earldoms. I felt a surge of relief at the fact that Galbatorix didn't want me dead or maybe that was because he wanted to kill me himself… I shook the thought from my head and hastily changed the subject "Let's just get back and focus ourselves on the task at hand"

"Yea lets just," Becker agreed. And we both looked up at the dark castle that was towering over us. "Faze two," He muttered.

We swept through the dark streets, using the shadows as cover. The castle had been built to prevent escape and unwanted entry to people on foot or people on dragons but not people with superman. Like the outer city wall the walls of the castle were teaming with guards patrolling the ramparts with flaming torches. We crouched underneath a couple of sparse trees by the edge of the castle moat and waited for the dark to take hold. Night came on thick and quick which was good for us. The guards patrolling the walls were blind all but for a couple of meters.

"Now" I whispered to Becker. I could see perfectly in the blackness but I knew that normal human eyes wouldn't be able to. Now was the time to go.

"Okay" He breathed and he placed his arms around me again and there was the same sickening lurch as he propelled us into the sky. The clinking of the guards armour was distinct and clear in the peaceful night air and I watched the torches bobbing along the wall down below as we sailed over them. I knew parts of the castle were bound to have magical shields around them preventing any entry from the air but I guessed Galbatorix wouldn't waste energy in putting them where they were not necessary so I guessed they would all be up around the dragon keep. Becker quickly found a window which had been left ajar around the back of the castle, near the gardens only about fifty meters from the ground and when he landed inside I was horrified to find that it was my room. Becker touched down softly on the hard flagstone floor and I slid from his grip.

"Trust you to find this room!" I exclaimed and I tenderly ran my finger through the white net curtains of the four-poster bed.

"Why?! What's this room?" He asked and he looked over at me. He read my expression in one glance.

"Oh" He said.

"Yea, oh" I replied and I made my way over to the door desperate to be out of there.

"Nice room!" He said as if he was trying to cheer me up and he eyed up its vast luxury expanse. A cool night breeze swept in and rustled the flowers on the table. I noticed they were perfectly fresh, as was the linen on the bed. It was as if Gertrude and the maids were expecting me to come back. The smell of polished wood and fresh flowers filled my nostrils as I inhaled the familiar scent. I shook my head the hurried towards the door once more and this time Becker followed me, overcoming his curiosity. Once outside in the corridor paused. I had absolutely no idea where to look for Lana. She could be anywhere most likely the dungeons but I hadn't the faintest idea how to get to them from here. Galbatorix could keep elven prisoners in a different place to human prisoners. I bit my lip realising my only option. Oh god it would be dangerous and stupid.

"Well?!" Becker asked from my side.

"Well" I sighed in reply and I shut my eyes and reached out with my mind. I had to be as quick as possible. The longer I took the more likely it would be that I would be detected. The castle was thrumming but most of the beings were absorbed in the peaceful bliss of sleep apart from a few late night servants. I had become familiar with Lana's mind over the last couple of months but none of the presences I felt were recognisable as her. All of a sudden there was a strange pulse which I couldn't describe and I got scared and retreated within myself but I had, had enough time to pinpoint its location and I set off towards it. I didn't know what it was but it seemed familiar somehow, trustworthy.

"Evie?!" Becker questioned as I set off down the right corridor without explaining my intentions. I ignored him and kept on going, left right left right. The bed chambers got less and less grand until they were at the point where they were halfway in between servant's quarters and royal chambers. I eventually stopped outside an old gnarled oak door.

"Will you please tell me what you are doing?!" Becker exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Following my gut instincts" I replied. "Stay out here and keep watch will you?!"

"What?!" He said "Not until you tell me what you're doing!"

"I cant tell you what I'm doing because I don't know what I'm doing?!" Becker sighed and I made my way towards the door again but his arm snapped out in front of me.

"Be careful alright?!" He said in a hushed whisper.

"Yes!" I sighed in an exasperated tone and I treid to get around him again but he stopped me.

"I mean it!" I paused and looked up in his eyes and saw that he really did.

"I'll be fine!" I smiled and finally he let me pass and I pressed down on the door handle and it swung open with a faint 'click'. I shut it behind me then turned to take in the room. It was simple enough, lit by the light of a single candle which had almost burnt down to a stub. The room was sparsely furnished with a table a chest of drawers and a simple double bed in which was a sleeping figure. I slowly paced over, trepidation filling my insides but when I recognized Lana's peacefully sleeping face I hurried forward and shook her shoulder.

"Lana!" I exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "Lana! It's me Evie! Wake up!" I shook again and she began to stir.

"Heya!" I grinned in her face as she came to and she frowned with a puzzled look.

"We've got to be quick!" I exclaimed "Then maybe we can get out of here!" And I stepped backwards. Lana rose slowly into a sitting position.

"Come on then we need to go!" I cried.

"Go where?!" She asked sweetly as if she didn't understand what the hell I was on about.

"Back to the Varden you know! Away from here! Quickly!" I said urging her on.

"Why?!" She asked. Only then did I begin to think something might be wrong.

"Lana…?" I asked cautiously. "Are you alright?!"

"Lana is fine" She smiled and she swung her legs out from over the edge of bed and stood up. She was wearing a long white night gown and her black hair was tied up in a rugged knot on the back of her head but her normal bright flaring green eyes looked dull and had a greyish tinge to them.

"Lana?!" I questioned

"Lana is fine!" She repeated in a cheery tone.

"Lana is not fine!" I exclaimed reaching up and knocking gently on her forehead.

"Lana wonders why you are knocking her on the head" She said.

"Who did this to you?!" I asked my voice going serious.

"Lana's master did this to Lana!" She said.

"Oh my god was it Murtagh?!" I growled "If it was Murtagh I am going to take his take his manly hood and put it through a paper shredder then put it in a blender and turn it into testicular purée and then spread it on toast and then… THEN… FEED IT TO MY DOG!" At the end I was screaming and I noticed rather then smiling at me Lana was smiling at something or someone over my shoulder.

"He's right behind me isn't he?!" I moaned. Lana grinned and nodded.

**Yea big round of applause to evie!! I found this chapter really good and kinda fun, pitty she forgot to **_**plug her internet in**_** else you guys would have gotten it quicker. Tehehe.... im afraid lana may seem kind of distant for the next few chapters, but i guess this is all about evie become a proper dragon rider. Oh and anpthe thing, im annoyed cause evie STILLL [yes three lllll's] wont tell me what is going to happen... grrrrr...**

**Review review review!!!**


	34. Chapter 34

"Look master, an intruder!" Lana exclaimed a grin spreading across her face as if she was exceedingly proud of herself.

"Uhh…" I stuttered but my words seemed to stick in my throat and I took a step back from Lana. I knew she was under an enchantment but I still couldn't help feeling betrayed. "Lana!" I cried "No don't do this, snap out of it!" And I desperately snapped my fingers repetitively in front of her face. Suddenly my hand was yanked back by Murtagh who was stood behind me and he pulled me back towards the door.

"Lana!" I yelled "Get off of me" and I strained against Murtagh's strength but I was no match for him and he tightened his grip until it was uncomfortably tight on my wrists then yanked me back harder. I moaned and tried to keep my ground but he pulled me to the extent where he was dragging me so I got back up to my feet and regretfully followed.

"What did you do to Becker? How did you get past him?" I demanded and I thrashed against his hands. As if to answer my question with one authoritative tug he pulled me through the door frame out into the hall way and I saw Becker straining helplessly against invisible restraints. He looked as if he was shouting at the top of his lungs but no sound was uttered from his lips I could read them though. 'Evie!' He screamed 'No! Get off of her you bastard!' My head was snapped away as I was violently pushed forward once more. For the first time I looked up at Murtagh's face which I saw was set in a resolute snarl as if he was trying to retrain himself from beating me every time I protested against his steel grip.

"BECKER!" I screamed and I tried to throw myself at him as he strained to get to me but Murtagh was stronger than both of us combined. He got fed up and picked me up as if I were no heavier than a sack of feathers and placed me over his shoulder and set off down the long bleak corridor; my screams echoing off of the cold grey limestone. I thumped against his back, if he had been normal his spine would have shattered along with his ribs but he wasn't and he was un-phased by my pounding fists.

"Where are you taking me?" I screamed at him, my throat going raw. "How did you know I was here?! ANSWER ME!" He remained speechless and in the faint light of the burning torches that were placed along the corridor at regular intervals in brackets I saw that his face was set in a resolute grimace. It was an expression I didn't recognize, one I had never seen him wearing before it was then I worked out Lana wasn't the only one who had been placed under an enchantment. No emotions emitted from him but hatred and determination to complete his mission, to stop him succumbing to the good piece of humanity that was in him trying to fight the darkness. I did everything I could but by the we were outside the throne room I was no closer to escape than I had been ten minutes ago but it didn't seem right to let him take me to my death without a fight even if it had been pointless right from the beginning. Sweat covered my forehead at the exertion and my limbs ached. The huge black doors which I had hoped I would only see again in my nightmares swung open in front of us and Murtagh passed through them. His inhumanly fast gait carried us to the foot of the king in a matter of seconds across the vast throne room then he brutishly shoved me to the cold floor at Galbatorix's feet. I didn't dare look up, I could feel his dark eyes boring into my skull as it was and I wasn't sure if I looked up I would be able to free myself from his transfixing glare.

"Wait outside!" He growled to Murtagh. The words were full of venom and the power that radiated from every one and sent a shiver down my spine. I shook as out of the corner I watched Murtagh bow deeply as if he truly respected him then turned and left. I felt horribly vulnerable hunched on the floor with nothing to stop the king's malevolent incensed wrath upon me.

"Stand" He commanded coldly. The single word sent a chill down my spine and I struggled to my feet still not bringing myself to look into his eyes. I heard him rise from his black throne and descend several steps until he was stood in front of me and I inspected his highly polished black boots with my eyes.

"You disappoint me" He said. At the words I flinched as if he had hit me because it felt like he did. The tension was almost unbearable as I waited for his verdict.

"Look at me when I am talking to you!" He growled. I braced myself and gradually gazed upwards, lifting my chin but then all he did was deliver a swift slap to my face. My cheek flared in a white hot pain for several seconds and I froze in the position with my head to the side, gaze averted and hair falling across my face as the pain subsided to a steady burning throb. I wanted to reach up and caress the pained side of my face but I was scared any such movement would anger him further so I remained immobile.

"I take you into my castle…" He began. I could tell he was desperately trying to refrain himself from killing me then and there. "I put a roof over your head, food on your table and provide for your needs and how do you repay me? I suppose some of it was ignorance on my own behalf. I never thought the final egg would hatch to a self pitying whining girl like you, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe your dragon became deluded after all the time I kept him in that egg of his."

At that I felt my hands slowly ball into tight fists and I struggled to contain my own rage at the way he spoke of Elzar. "You will never be as powerful as Murtagh or I, even those lame friends of yours but I suppose even the most trivial rider and dragon have their uses"

I looked up at him then. I could never serve him. I had already sworn my allegiance to the Varden and he knew it. I heard him lean closer to me then all of a sudden I could feel his warm breath by my left ear, tickling the pointed tip. Then he began to whisper.

"Oh, don't think you're safe from me with your weak little pact with the Varden. As soon as your true name changes I will have complete control over both you and your dragon and believe me that won't take long. By my hand, through the pain I will inflict your spirit will break in a couple of short days and with that your name. Your dragon will succumb to me just as you do and then you will do my biding as and when I please! Don't think you will receive any fatherly love either, you will become yet another of my slaves, aiding my needs and I will treat you like one and punish you like one and you shall be bound to me in chains, never to taste freedom just like Murtagh" At the end he was growling then when he finished he shoved me back to the hard floor like a piece of dirt he longed to be rid of. My head smacked against the stone as I fell backwards and pain erupted in my skull, blurring my vision and making everything distorted. I tried to stand but my legs wouldn't allow it and I swayed and fell back down to the floor. Then I couldn't breathe. There was a restraining crush around my windpipe, stopping all passage of oxygen. I instinctively reached up and groped for what was crushing my throat but there was nothing. My fumbling hands were met with nothing but air. Then I was being lifted by my neck and through my blurry vision I managed to see him standing in front of me. He had descended completely from his throne and was poised in an all powerful manner; his hand outstretched on it his dark a mutilated Gedwey ignasia flared with a sinister and evil light. I let out a strangled choke and he smiled at my pain. I watched in horror as his outstretched hand slowly contracted in mid air and as it did so did the force on my throat. Just as I thought my neck was about to snap and spots were dancing in front of my eyes the constricting stopped and he surveyed me for a second through his black eyes.

"THRYSTA!" He yelled and I went flying across the room and I slammed to the hard floor once more half way across the throne room. The blow knocked what air there was in my lungs from my chest and as I gasped for air my chest was gripped in a searing ache. I lay on the floor panting, a sweat forming on my brow then I flew back again and my back slammed into the jagged rock hard surface of the steps. It felt as if I had just broken every bone in my body but then he was leaning over me again.

"You shouldn't have crossed me!" He growled. His voice was deep and threatening and I tried to suppress the shudder which ran the length of my body. I opened my bleary eyes and gazed back up at him. He made no move, none what so ever and I wondered what he was going to do to me next and then I felt it, the burrowing drill at the edge of my consciousness trying to worm its way into my mind and thoughts. I hastily threw up what defences I could muster in a couple of short milliseconds. As normal I pictured the leaf spinning idyllically on the crystal lake surface. I could feel him angering and in his impatience he made an attempt to crush my defences in one swift movement like he would Murtagh but it bounced of and deflected back to him but I wasn't aware of that, all I saw was that leaf spinning on the water on a frosty autumn morning. Galbatorix roared. The noise was so deafening it snapped me out of it and when I opened my eyes I had only time to register how truly mad I had just made him by proving I could withstand his efforts before he threw himself on me. A searing pain shocked through the entire length of my body, more intense and blistering then anything I had ever experienced. All that seemed to exist was its fiery rage which burned its way through my arteries and veins, flowing through my body to every part of my body. With no defences he attacked my mind then, worming through all memories and burning them, turning my own emotions against me and numbing my senses. It was like having a nail brutally hammered through the side of my skull, shattering the fragments of bone and imbedding them in my brain. A piercing scream tore from my lips and I tasted blood in my mouth. I screamed again and cried out, screaming and screaming when all of a sudden all the pain ceased and my senses flared back into life. I gasped and my eyes flickered open. I could feel tears of agony trickling their way down my cheeks and there was blood in my mouth. I lolled my head on the steps about to see the huge black doors swinging shut on a struggling figure and I swear I heard my name being shouted, being yelled over and over but my mind wasn't working, I couldn't be sure of anything then the doors boomed shut and there was only their vast dark expanse filling my blurred vision. Then it started again and I started screaming. It was too much for words, like I was burning alive, swimming in acid falling off a cliff onto pinnacle rocks all at the same time but never dying, deaths comforting dark embrace never came. I don't know how I endured, how my body didn't pack up but I was still breathing when it all finally stopped. For some bizarre reason I thought it was all over and a smile of relief graced my lips but delirious people think odd things. Of course he hadn't finished with me. He bent down and did something which yanked me back to my senses with a sudden jerk and I gasped. I blinked hard and panted, looking up at him again. His eyes hadn't calmed, they were still dark and thunderous so I wondered why had he stopped, why didn't he just keep on going? His eyes suddenly dropped from mine then down to the object he was extracting from his tunic pocket. It was a file, containing black liquid. Even though it was full it mustn't have contained more than a couple of drops but I guessed it was enough. I watched as he carefully removed the tiny cork lid from the glass tube.

"Something Durza gave to me" He smiled forebodingly and he knelt on the steps down by my side. I was too weak still to retaliate as he tore open the top few buttons of my shirt, exposing the top of my bare chest and I was too weak to stop him as he descended a long pointed fingernail above my heart, hanging from it was a single droplet of the black poison. But not any old poison I realised it was the Skilna Bragh. I remembered it had nearly claimed Arya's life and she was an elf, I was almost sure it would claim mine. I gazed helplessly as the droplet quivered on the tip of his nail the watched in dismay as it fell towards my skin. As soon as it came into contact I felt burning and I gasped and let out a pained whimper. It only took a couple of seconds for it to seep into my bloodstream and then only two more for it to pass into every fibre of my being. The pain was indescribable and was so much so that I finally drifted away into a deep, deep sleep; one from which I wasn't sure if I would wake up.

***

As soon as her screams echoed from the throne room he was snapped out of his trance. He gasped and found himself sagging against the wall several meters from the open doors. He didn't even think, he had to stop him from hurting her. He ran full pelt towards the huge black doors, torches flickering in their brackets, illuminating the cold black marble corridor. As soon as he saw her squirming on the floor his heart stopped, screaming in pain at the torture that was being inflicted upon her. Murtagh tried to move forward, move towards her but he couldn't get past the doors. He looked up to see Galbatorix staring at him with black eyes a hint of sick twisted amusement on his face. Galbatorix waved one skeletal hand then the doors slowly started to close, shutting him away from her.

"NO!" He yelled, the word tearing from his hoarse throat. "Leave her alone! Evie! Evie! EVIE!" Her name tore from his lips over and over again as he strained with all his might against the invisible barrier. Suddenly she turned her head from where she lay on the steps but the dim light and her golden hair prevented him from seeing her face. Had she seen him? He yelled her name one last time as the doors finally shut on him and he was left staring at the ancient black knotted wood. Incomprehensible rage and desperation consumed him and he shouted again and hurled himself at the door, fists meeting wood and splinters imbedded themselves deep in his knuckles as his fists left imprints in the dark timber, eventually though it sank in and his yelling and punching came to a halt. It was his fault. It was his entire fault this was happening to her. He had been the one to retrieve her from the elf's room and take her straight into the clutches of this monster. There was an unbearable pain in his chest as he realised the sudden truth. How? How had he managed to do that to her? She started screaming again and Murtagh's breath stopped in his throat. Each scream pierced his heart like a dagger, leaving it to bleed and it was all his fault…

_Murtagh…_Thorn gently probed the edge of his mind seeing if he was welcome. He treaded with care at his riders anguish. Murtagh ignored him and just let each of Evie's screams run him through his heart. He deserved the pain they were causing him.

_It wasn't your fault… _Thorn said.

_Don't say that! _Murtagh growled in reply. _Don't you dare say that! Was it not I who delivered her straight into his hands?!_

_You were under an enchantment, a powerful one. You had no control over you actions! _Thorn exclaimed.

_I still did it though, it doesn't matter if I was under an enchantment or not! _He pushed Thorn from his mind and sat there shaking in his own fury and desolation. The minutes ticked by and the pain in his chest did nothing but get worse.

"Murtagh" His own name sent a chill down his spine because of whose lips it was spoken from and the huge doors swung back open and this time he was free to enter. He stood frozen for a couple of seconds, scared at what he would see on the other side before the force of his oaths dragged him in. He tried to walk up to the throne but as soon as he saw her lying there unconscious on the steps he broke into a run. His boots thudded on the highly polished floor as he sprinted the length of the massive room then he threw himself down by her side. One slender hand lay towards him, dangling from the step and from one pale fingertip hung a droplet of sparkling ruby red blood. She lay splayed across the black marble step, her slender, delicate form blemished by bruises and cuts wherever skin was visible. Her face was mostly hidden by hair but from what he could see of her flushed cheeks, dark eyelashes and red lips she was somehow even more beautiful than he remembered her but then his eyes fell on the mark on her chest and his heart hammered in his ears. A large dark blotch obscured her soft skin right above her heart with dark tendrils splaying across her chest. Galbatorix had poisoned her. Seeing her lying there defenceless at the foot of the king made something inside of him snap then he realised quite what that snap had been. His true name had changed. He was intelligent and quick thinking enough to not bear any sign of surprise or shock on his face and managed to keep Galbatorix unsuspecting.

"Take her to the solitary confinement in the dungeons" He ordered "I'll deal with you later" By that he supposed he meant place him back under his enchantment.

"Yes my lord" Murtagh said, playing along with a swift bow of his head. He then slipped her arms under Evie's knee's and shoulders and lifted up her light unconscious body. He turned and paced from Galbatorix's presence with her in his arms then as soon as he walked a couple of corridors he was running, clutching her tight to his chest.

_Thorn! _He cried out with his mind _Make a break for it when the time is right! This is it! We're escaping! _

Im sure evie would like to tell you if she could that a new book for Eragon is coming out soon.

It is called 'eragon's guide to aligasia' so go look it up if your as obsessed as her

Review please!!!


	35. Chapter 35

Note. Im sorry if this confuses anyone, but hopefully it wont to bad...

If a line of writing has a full stop or any other ?!, type thing on the end the 'real' lana is speaking, if not the other 'lana' is speaking. It should be easier to understand closer to the end...

Flashes, like the last moments of a dream as you wake.

Soldiers heavy boots loud outside

Distress, pain, desire

Fury, annoyance

Freedom

Lana stirs as her master comes for her

Foreign thoughts

She swings her legs over the edge of the bed. The door opens

Foreign feelings

Lana's master looks annoyed, with both himself and another

Foreign memories

He is shouting at lana. Lana wonders what it was she did

Someone else, controlling my every move

Lana follows her master willingly, she wants to know what it is that has upset him

Walking, without really walking

Lana enters her masters main room behind him, noticing the door is splintered, if only momentarily

Speaking yet not speaking

Lana sits down in the chair her master tells her to. Its a normal chair, and there are things next to her on a table, some sharp and oozing a clear liquid

Looking but not seeing

Lana's master ties lana to a chair, with no reason to. Lana didn't do anything wrong, she did everything right

I've been here before, but where is here

Lana's master picks up one of the sharp objects and comes to towards her

With a sensation close to breaking free from clingfilm that you have been wrapped in, lana, i, we, break free from our masters grip.

I look up at our master, right into his eyes, and suddenly he was up against the wall, suspended there, pushed against the wall.

Lana stands up smoothly as her restraints fall limply to the floor.

Guards will come for her soon, she must hurry.

Spreading our arms wide, lana calls for Elzar.

_Elzar!! Lan- i am in trouble, please help us!!_

Elzar seemed to get lana's message instantly

_Lana?! I was worried about you_ he seemed genuenly glad to hear from me.

Something suddenly occoured to lana

_On second thought, lana does not require acistance_

Elzar said nothing. Lana opened her eyes before looking towards the door. It was closed. Lana relaxed all her muscles before pasting on a smile that felt completely fake and made her feel like a little girl, before letting the other lana take over momentarily, ordering her to go in search for becker.

Lana does as i tell her.

Passed unsuspecting guards

Lana does as she is told

Becker is still in a magical prison

Lana finds him easily.

I take over once again.

Closing my eyes and stopping infront of the magical prison i dismantle it quickly with my mind.

The instant becker is free he desends on lana.

She halts him with her mind, eyes still closed.

He listens happily to her quick explanation.

When she is finished lana releases him.

Becker nods to lana, before looking round.

Guars are beginning to become suspicious.

The other lana seems nervous

We close our eyes.

"becker. When i say, fly us out of here." We tell him.

The guards come towards us now, realizing what happened.

I knock them all flying in the other direction.

"now." We half shout, half scream at him.

He does as we say, grabbing my arms before jumping into the air quickly, flying us out of the castle by smashing into the roof then flying extra fast.

We don't need to tell him where to go, he already knows.

Caught unaware lana suddenly wrestles for control.

She succeeds.

Becker puts lana down on te ground gently when he lands, before leading her through woods. She follows

Evie on the floor with Murtagh leaning over her

Two dragons, sat near each other

Murtagh looks up as becker and lana approach

He looks annoyed

"what is she doing here?" he askes

He is annoyed

"SHE saved me." Becker tells him

Murtagh looks surprised

"lana? Can you help me please?" Murtagh askes, seeming to soften slightly

Lana responds to the order

"yes master." She tells him, walking quickly towards him

Both Murtagh and Becker flinch

"you were saying?" Murtagh asks becker, becoming angry once again

The other me suddenly launched an attack

We are flying, slightly

Hovering above ground

"help me..." the other me manages to cry out, before i take control once more

I plummet to the ground

Everyone seems supprised

Becker talks "whats the matter with evie?" he seems on edge

"shes dying" murtagh's words are like a slap on the face.

Lana is suddenly stood behind evie and Murtagh.

We look down at her.

"what can we do?" misunderstanding Murtagh answers

"we can't do anything."

Both people in my head went into shock

"what do you mean?!" even to me my voice went more than slightly higher.

"i mean WE cant, but you might be able to" Murtagh said, confusing us in our shocked state

"you mean my... abilities?" i asked him and he nodded soberly. We thought for a second. Then a voice, strange and unknown, rang out clear in my mind.

_Let me take over _she said, and i knew instantly who it was. The other me. Her idea went through our mind, and i decided to give it a try.

To any other person our eyes simply flared a weird purple colour, but really i was letting her take over.

Having full control without forcing it did something weird inside us

Suddenly we were in perfect unison, i knew all her memories and she mine

She did the equivalent of sitting back, while i got to work. I knelt down next to Murtagh and looked down at evie

Instantly i knew exactly what to do

I put a hand on evie's forehead before closing my eyes

As a collective both me and lana worked our way round evie's body, fixing what had been broken, righting the wrong

we quietly acknowledged that it went cold, then warm again

Something was happening to our body

Something wrong, bad, something that shouldn't be

When we had finished we leaned back and opened our eyes, taking our hand from evie's forehead

Suddenly i was back in charge, signified once again by the deep flare of purple.

Someone came towards us and we got up, but we were surprisingly weak.

It was Murtagh

He caught us quickly in his arms and put us back down.

It was only then that we realized just how weak we were, how tired, how very, very...

We were somewhere different when we awoke.

Somewhere that rocked slightly.

The other me was pucking up somewhere in the back of my head.

Not a nice feeling i can asure you.

We raised our head.

Looked around.

That would explain it.

We were flying, once again on thorn.

Murtagh was behind me.

"lana?! My god, i thought that you were..." he trailed off, and an uncomfortable silence started.

"were fine, i think." I told him, accidently slipping up at the use of words. At this he seemed slightly worried.

"where are we going? Is evie alright?" i asked him. Murtagh froze at this.

"lana..." he trailed off and the silence grew uncomfortable once again. I guessed what he wasn't telling me.

"no, we helped her, we..." i didn't know what to say, what to do. Murtagh was obviously feeling just as helpless. I looked around, turning in the saddle easily. Murtagh seemed in despair.

I took over our body quickly, coming to the rescue

I knew that lana was going into shock

It was obvious that Murtagh noticed our eyes this time

He studied me carefully, as if i was about to do something strange

"lana? Are you okay?" he asked us, still studying our face

"we are fine." I told him, and he jumper slightly as if shocked at my use of words

I turned us back round to look at the ground again

Fires burned in the distance, the smoke making slow, lazy turns towards the sky, dissipating as it floated up

I watched it, captivated by the sudden unexpected beauty of something as simple as smoke from a fire

That was when i realized we were at the varden, that that was where the smoke was coming from

Glad of a distraction i decided to tell Murtagh

"master, we are approaching the varden." I told him, forgetting that i was no longer that girl, that i was no longer the slave girl anna

I felt him wince. I felt lana's enthusiasm at taking over control once again, and let her willingly

I rushed to the surface, taking over once again as anna slipped into the background once again.

She seemed complacent enough, but i knew i would have to let her control our body more often, i needed to remember that it wasn't just my body anymore.

We were closer now, close enough to see individual houses, or rather the roofs of them.

But that was where the trouble started. We were approaching the varden on thorn, Murtagh behind us.

And the first response was to shoot us out of the sky.

As the archers lifted there bows, pulling back the arrows, both Anna and i became slightly frantic. Murtagh seemed just slightly panicked, but mostly he was just calm, as if we were simply waking through a field. Suddenly all the archers dropped there bows, as if they were hot.

Then they stood there, completely still as if waiting for an answer.

_Your doing it_ the same familiar stranger spoke, and instantly i knew she was right. Still slightly delirious i chuckled under my breath, feeling the invisible thread stretching out of me and into each of the people bellow. Then we were landing, the ground rushing up to meet us.

The landing was a quick one, and as soon as thorn became still i jumped from his back and landed next to him. Then i turned to the people surrounding us, some curious and others still frozen. Experimenting with my new found 'ability' i imagined a chicken, then suddenly the people around us were chucking like chickens, flapping there arms weirdly. Both Anna and I laughed freely now, before i finally remembered Evie, and the poison spreading quickly round her body.

Anna quickly took over, freeing both human dwarf alike, and we both watched as they slowly wondered away, picking up there bow and arrows as they did.

Murtagh jumped from his looming dragon, then thorn leaped to the sky, flapped once and glided away. Next Elzar landed, and Murtagh clambered up his side to collect Evie before handing her to me and jumping from him

Then Elzar, to, leaped to the sky and glided away

Becker was last to fly in, landing with bent knees in a sudden wind next to me

People finally started to gather round us then, some interested in the new arrivals and others guarded, scared

Then the crowd started to part, and i knew that Nasuada had arrived

Hope that was okay for y'all!!!!!

Don't forget to review and sorry if i don't update for a while everything seems to be premiering right about now including the best shows ever, supernatural, fringe, smallville, dollhouse, heroes, and best of all MERLIN!!!!!! So don't blame me, blame the shows. Oh and bones...

As you can tell im obsessed...

Review!!

Oh and by the the way i did in fact change the ending for this chapter, so sorry if anyone is now confused...


	36. Chapter 36

I am so sorry this chapter has taken so long to upload, please don't kill me Evie or anyone else reading this!!

If you have ever had a hangover maybe you can begin to understand what I felt like. All of my limbs had seized up and throbbed with a dull achy pain and my head, well frankly it felt like it had been run over by a bus. I groaned lightly and my eyes slowly flickered open to reveal blurry patches of colour. There were indistinguishable mutters floating all around me and I groaned at them to go away. I shifted in the bed I was lying in and felt a soft thin blanket draped over my body. Suddenly I felt the sensation of someone pulling back one of my eyelids. I tried to move to slap them away, to tell them to leave me alone but the slight movement sent a spasm of exhaustion throughout my body. I took in a sharp intake of breath at the severe aching pain and froze in my position not wanting to rouse it again.

"Someone's looking better" A familiar voice acknowledged up above me. I stared at the blurred patch of colour that I now realised was a face until it came into focus and I saw the cheery round face of Angela peering back at me. "Hello sweetheart!" She smiled "You've had a bit of a rough time haven't you?! We thought we were going to lose you at one point!"

"Howonaheenawa…" I had meant to say how long had I been unconscious for but it hadn't come out quite the way I had anticipated it all the same though Angela answered as if I had spoken perfectly.

"Oh about five days. The poison was a particularly potent one, you were very strong" I blinked at her words in surprise as I couldn't speak, my throat was so dry all that came out was air and whispers. "Here" Angela said and she retrieved a clay cup from her side and held it gently to my chapped lips. I drank long and deeply, the waters cool substance soothing my throats irritated tissue and when I had drained the cup of its contents Angela set it back down on the trestle table beside her. I had to admit I was very confused. How was I here? At the Varden? Had Eragon found me and dragged me back? Somehow I knew that wasn't what had happened. I was in a terrible state and I felt like I had this huge gap in my memory that I wanted but I also didn't want to remember. And most of all what had happened to Lana? Was she still in the clutches of Murtagh and Galbatorix?

_Evie! _Elzar's anxious words came as a sudden shock to my fatigued conscience.

_Elzar?! _I questioned weakly. His powerful emotions flooded into me I felt relief, happiness and an edge of fear and sadness. It was then I realised just how worried he had been about me.

_I'm fine! _I reassured him but that wasn't enough and within a couple of short seconds there was a loud ripping noise as he tore the tents cloth flap entrance hastily out of the way with his ivory teeth and poked his large head in.

"Dragons!" Angela complained rather loudly. "No respect whatsoever to the property of others, especially when it's in their way!"

Elzar growled and sidled over to me some more until the point where if I was strong enough I could reach out and touch his snout.

_What happened?! _I asked, I searched my memory but the last thing I could remember was meeting Becker, Abby and the Doctor again. If I strained to try and recall anything else it sent dull throbbing aches through my already pounding head.

_Just rest… _Elzar cooed. He evidently thought that I didn't need to know or that it would distress me and slow my recovery.

_Tell me! _I demanded and I thrust my consciousness into his then all of a sudden before he could do anything about it I was washed over by my own memories seen through his eyes and I gasped and my eyes snapped open. Rather than seeing the tent ceiling above I saw me and Becker flying over the land and then we were in the heart of the black castle, Lana was there and then she wasn't and then there was him; his intense black eyes staring, boring into the very heart of my consciousness and then, then there was the pain, the gripping flaming pain as Elzar shared it with me then I was flying again and I went crashing down into the heart of a forest near the city wall, almost crashing into Thorn then watching in despair as I saw myself lying lifeless with a pallid complexion and Murtagh leaning over me… Elzar growled and pulled his mind away from mine but I had already seen enough. Instinctively my hand shot up to my chest, ignoring my weakness and I gazed down at it under the blanket. The skin was near flawless with no hint what so ever to the mark of death that had obscured the skin.

_He saved me… _I whispered to Elzar. I felt my heart increase to a frantic uneven pace in my chest.

_He did. _Elzar asserted as if he was jealous of Murtagh's feat.

_Where is he now? And Thorn, Lana, Becker and all the others? _

_Lana and your friends have been pining to see you for days and enquiring every five minutes about your health. Murtagh and Thorn… They fled pretty much as soon as they had made sure you were delivered safely to the healers. They knew they would not be welcomed here even though their oaths to Galbatorix have broken and they no longer serve him. They still can't undo the wrongs they have done. The dwarves and the people of the Varden will never forgive them for murdering Hrothgar or slaying countless battalions of their men. _

I sighed and dragged my eyes away from Elzar to inspect the tent roof again feeling mixed emotions bubbling inside of me. Anger, pity, fear, confusement, happiness on their behalf and something else that I couldn't quite identify. I couldn't be bothered to dwell on it and I felt tiredness washing over me once more and I jadedly closed my eyes.

_Sleep little one… _Elzar cooed in my thoughts and I could feel his ticklish breath as he ever so gently nuzzled my hair. As I lulled myself into a deep dreamless sleep he backed out of the tent and disappeared outside.

***

When I woke I was moving. A steady smooth rocking motion was jolting my body and I felt as if I was lying in a hammock. I groggily opened my eyes to make sense of the strange situation and saw that I was underneath Elzar's large green belly, hung there by a big thick white blanket. It was very warm due to the heat radiating from inside him and rather claustrophobic, also not good for anyone with motion sickness as I couldn't see a darn thing.

_What's happening?_ I enquired, reaching for Elzar's mind.

_You're awake! _He exclaimed in a pleased tone.

_Yea, I noticed. _I replied sarcastically. _Where are we going? _

_We are flying on ahead of the Varden a day's worth of travel. We have been doing it each day to keep up with them as they advance for their assault on Urû'baen. We are going to land and make camp in about half an hour and wait there for the rest of the Varden to catch up. Angela is flying with Eragon on Saphira behind, we have been doing the same each day and she has been treating you. _

I nodded acknowledging his words._ At least let me be unstrapped from your belly, not being able to see where I am going is churning my stomach. I am strong enough to ride on your back in the saddle. _I replied, not that I would actually have anything to chuck up if I was sick. I was still weak but now it felt as if it was from lack of food rather than from the poison.

_Fine, _Elzar replied and I felt him begin to drift downwards. _But we will have to wait for Eragon to assist me in untying you from me. _

Just the flight back to the ground almost made me hurl, the cloying whiteness of the blanket and the vibrant green of Elzar's scales seemed to press in on me, squeezing the breath from my lungs. When I felt him touch down once more onto solid earth I had to stop myself from clawing my way out but it was only about a minute before Eragon arrived with Saphira and Angela to free me. Eragon hurriedly untied the lashings of ropes which held me there and finally peeled away a corner of the blanket and I was met with a view of the outskirts of a great golden deciduous forest, hundreds of magnificent oaks and maples with wilting red and orange leaves adorned the landscape in front of me. I blinked at the beautiful view with the crisp cerulean autumn sky lining the horizon above the restless auburn canopy. To the west there were familiar great grass planes stretching as far as the eyes could see with the faintest dark smudge on the horizon. Saphira saw me looking and answered my unspoken queries.

_The Varden. They are a days march away and shall be joining us by sundown. _Her great sapphire blue eyes blinked as she scrutinized the scene behind us. I had no doubt she could see them ten times better than I could.

Eragon held the blanket off the ground so I could easily get to my feet. I swung one shaky leg over the edge and tried to rise to my feet, I wasn't expecting to walk perfectly but neither was I expecting for my legs to be so weak that I collapsed. Elzar let out a snort of alarm as Eragon caught me just before I hit the ground.

_Maybe this was not such a good idea… _Saphira mused from where she stood next to Elzar, towering over him by a good fifteen feet. _You are still very weak. _

_I could not stand one more second like that, _I protested. _Not only does it con-fuddle my thoughts but also my breakfast. I will be perfectly fine if I strap myself into Elzar's saddle. _Eragon didn't protest, only put me down on the soft turf then going to untie some of the various knots around Elzar's chest.

_Fine but be careful._ She said

_Yes… _Elzar spoke, agreeing with her words. Eragon removed the blanket from him and went and stowed it in one of Saphira's saddle bags.

"Looking better I see!" Angela called down from where she sat on Saphira's back. "I would come down and check that you were ok but… I don't want to cause any hassle!" She said, eyeing the descent to the ground down Saphira's large shimmering blue flank. I smiled at her from where I sat on the ground then quickly looked away again. Squinting through the bright sunlight to see her face made my head spin.

_Can you get up by yourself or do you need assistance? _Elzar said, turning his head around to face me and looking at me with one beady emerald eye.

"I will be fine!" I said out loud for all to hear. I steadily rolled onto my feet, carefully maintaining my balance and rose up. My legs were a bit shaky as I tottered over to Elzar's side and he crouched down until he had his belly pressed flat against the earth to aid my ascent onto his back. As soon as I reached him I gripped the girth of his saddle for support then placed one foot on his foreleg and heaved myself up into the saddle. I only just made it and when I looked back with an expression of achievement on my face Eragon was eyeing me cautiously as if he expected me to faint at any minute.

"We will fly onwards for fifteen more minutes then we will stop at our destination and you can have something to eat to build your strength up." I nodded, liking the sound of it as I just realised at the mention of food I was ravenously hungry. I pushed the craving from my mind and weakly pulled the straps tight over my thinning legs.

"Saphira will call to you when it is time to land" Eragon said then he went over to mount her behind Angela. It only took two flaps of Elzar's powerful wings to propel us back into the sky and then we were flying again and I watched blissfully as the wind caught in the great jade sails of Elzar's wings and held us in the air. The wind played in my hair, making it even more of a tangled mess as I inhaled a long deep breath of the cool dry air which hung over the forest as we swept along over it. It seemed like barely any time at all before we had to land again. It was in a vast open patch in between the trees which skirted the edge of the forest, a large stream wound its way in between the trees and I guessed this was where we would wait for the army to arrive for the rest of the day. I could certainly think of better things to do with my time but I was too tired to complain. I practically fell from Elzar's back, my legs buckling as soon as they touched the ground and I lay there for a couple of seconds just happy to rest until Angela came and pulled me to my feet.

"What you need is a good hot bowl of soup to get your energy levels up" She said and dragged me over to a nearby fallen tree and I perched myself on the trunk. "Saphira, be a dear and light us a fire will you?" Angela asked sweetly smiling over at the large dragon. She growled with distaste at being used for a beast of burden but granted Angela's wishes none the less but not quite the way she had anticipated. She reached out with one powerful forelimb and grasped the trunk of a three year old sapling before wrenching it clean out of the earth, roots and all then lay it down in front of us and set it alight with one huge breath of flickering blue flame that reached searing temperatures.

"I suppose that's one way of doing it…" Angela squeaked at the roaring fire before us as Saphira stalked away to go hunting. I watched Elzar as he loped to her side and they held their own conversation before flexing their mighty wings in preparation for flight.

_I am going to hunt with Saphira. I haven't eaten in days. _Elzar asserted for my own knowledge. _We will be back before the Varden arrive. Be careful. _

I mumbled at his protectiveness but was too weak to protest and I wearily let my eyelids droop as they both disappeared back into the sky feeling the pleasant heat of the large fire on my face. I sat there with my eyes closed but my other senses were alert. I heard Eragon rise from where he sat on the ground and walk off into the trees to look for more firewood as Angela retrieved her cooking implements from Saphira's large saddlebags that Eragon had removed from her back as they landed. I sighed and pulled my legs up onto the fallen log in a cross legged position and let my mind drift out around me, tenderly visiting the consciousnesses of all the living beings that were abundant around me as Eragon had taught me several weeks ago. It was something I could keep at for hours and never get bored, the details and complexity of such minute animals was astounding. Field mice slept soundly in their burrow no more than a few feet away from me underneath the dirt and a robin sung its heat out on a branch in the tree whose low boughs swept right over my head and protected me from the prevailing sunlight of midday. Suddenly I heard a shift in the leaves and an obscure breeze alighted my surroundings. I only had time to brace myself before he hit me, sending us both toppling over the log backwards.

"BECKER YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR BRAKES!" I screamed as he lay on top of me. I opened my eyes to see his face a couple of inches from mine.

"Sorry!" He apologized with an abashed look upon his features. "Its just I hadn't seen you since you had woken up and…" He was smiling at me.

"I am delighted at your pleasure to see me but…!" and I gestured awkwardly at the fact that he was lying on me.

"Oh yea sorry… Seem to be doing that a lot!" He said with an embarrassed look and he rose from on top of me and helped me up.

"Don't make a habit of it!" I grumbled "I am still recovering! I have to be treated with care and delicacy!" I exclaimed

"Sorry!" He apologized yet again and he helped me to hobble weakly back over to my seat on the log. Thankfully Angela hadn't noticed as she was tending to the soup on the fire and I gave a puzzled look at the tent which had suddenly been erected while I wasn't looking in practically no time at all. As I watched her Becker sat down next to me.

"Sorry" He said, running his fingers through his hair and staring ahead.

I sighed "You know what Becker? If you really want to make it up to me stop saying sorry!"

"Fine" I could sense him smiling.

"Where are the others? Ah. No actually let's guess you left them behind?"

"Yep"

"I'm glad you place me so high in your priorities!" I smiled up at him but the look he returned to me was serious.

"Well I hadn't spoken to you since… and… we were all so worried… I wanted to see if you were ok"

I smiled shyly at him and dropped my gaze back to Angela who was now ladling the soup into bowls.

"I thought you were going to die, we all did, you were so pale and your pulse was so weak when we bought your back, when he bought you back" I noticed the way that he didn't say Murtagh's name. "We didn't know you were strong enough to pull through. You should have seen Elzar. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep and he never strayed from your side"

My stomach twisted, I hadn't realised just how serious it had been, what Galbatorix had done to me and how worried everyone was. The memory of that single droplet of black poison that hung from his nail, quivering, quivering as it was about to drop… The very memory made me go weak at the knees and I shook, I had been so deluded with pain then that I didn't feel fear but I could now and an exceedingly delayed shock of it ran through my body and I felt tears spring to my eyes.

"Hey…" Becker said "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said…" He trailed off as he pulled me into a strong hug and I let my scared tears seep into his shirt.

"What's happening now?!" Angela demanded as she strolled up with steaming bowls in her hands. "Leave her alone! That's the least the girl needs, getting worried and upset! She needs to recover" At her stern words Becker pulled away and she shoved one of the bowls into my hands along with a hunk of fresh bread. The earthenware was warm and I let the pleasant heat of it seep all the way up my arms and relax my aching muscles and I let the tantalising smell drift up my nostrils. As soon as the first drop touched my lips I devoured it until I was so full there was a danger of me being sick. I placed the bowl back down on the ground then desperately tried to keep myself awake but it didn't really work.

"You should go to bed" Becker said to me shaking my shoulder as my eyes drooped for the ninth time.

"It's the middle of the day!" I protested

"Yes but you are weak and you need to get your strength back as soon as possible" He said. I mumbled something unintelligible as he picked me up and carried me over to the tent. I was too weak to fight him and he placed me down on the makeshift bed. I barely felt my head hit the pillow.

***

When I woke inside the tent it was darker and outside was a hive of activity. Swords clashed, voices shouted and torchlight flickered through the thin material which made up the tent walls. I felt considerably better and I guessed the energy from the food had gotten into my system. I slowly sat up, waiting for the unpleasant light-headedness to overcome me but it didn't. I hesitantly rose from the bed and got to my feet feeling completely fine. I noticed a large bowl of water that sat on a trestle table by my bed, obviously for my use. I dipped my fingers into the clear water, wondering how long it had been there and I was pleased to find that it was still luke-warm. There was also a comb beside it and what looked like a bar of soap with a pile of fresh clothes on the floor. I reached up and ran my finger through my tangled dirty hair and groaned. It was obvious it hadn't been washed since before my escapade to the castle. I grabbed the comb and quite literally yanked it through the knotted mess gritting my teeth as I did so then I dunked my head into the bowl making a lot of the water slop onto the ground. I washed my hair as thoroughly as I could without shampoo or conditioner then gasped as I remerged, my sodden hair was leaking water onto my clothes so I pulled of my dirty shirt and wrapped it around my head to absorb some of the moisture. I cleaned the rest of my body before pulling on the clothes that lay on the ground, enjoying the fresh softness of the material. There were tight black breeches similar to my other pair but the top was finer in quality then my last one. It was like a white blouse stitched into a tight fitting embroidered navy bodice. I didn't like it too much, it showed off my cleavage too much but I preferred it over wearing my old ragged one and all the women wore things like it anyway so it wasn't as if I would stand out. I pulled on a pair of soft sock before fitting my boots back on over the top. I partially dried my hair with the shirt until it was no longer wet, just damp before straightening up to leave. A smile danced on my lips and I set out to use some of my re-acquired energy, pulling my long blue cloak from my pack by the entrance to the tent as I went. I pushed aside the tent flap and nearly tripped over Elzar's tail as it coiled around the tent. I smirked as I saw him wrapped around the tent, his snout touching the tip of his tail where they met a meter or two to my left. Not wanting to wake him, I stepped over his thick muscular tail that lay at my feet and looked up to survey my surroundings. I guessed it was around seven, the Varden had arrived and the sun was just about to sink below the horizon. People were bustling all around busy erecting tents, the women were cooking over campfires and the men sparring or sharpening their weapons. Horses were picketed about the place, grazing on the grass which had not yet been trampled by the hundreds of pairs of feet. We were at the edge of the campsite with the camp boundary only a couple of meters to my left which I swiftly headed towards, not wasting any time for Angela to return from wherever she was and commanding me to go back to bed and get more rest. I fastened the broach of my cloak around my neck then set off at a quick walk into the trees trying not to attract any unwanted attention. As soon as I passed underneath their twisted canopy I broke into a run, smiling at the elven strength and speed which thrummed in my body. I sprinted away through the oaks and maples, dodging obscure tree roots and branches. I ran faster and faster, easily dodging the trees that flashed past in my peripheral vision. I jumped over, rocks, boulders, drifts of undisturbed fallen leaves, logs and streams, no obstacle phasing my constant sprint. I only stopped when I felt the mental link between ne and Elzar becoming strained by distance and I decided to stop before it woke him and he came to find me. I gazed around through the darkening trees where I had come to a stop, panting slightly at the exertion of running several miles. The forest floor was littered with drifts of golden leaves and the space in between the large oaks was far apart but the canopy was dense, letting in little light from above but golden light shone from the side through the gnarled trunks where the trees cleared several hundred meters in front of me. A slight breeze swept though the wood making my now dry erratically curled hair flick and dance around my shoulders and the leaves tumble and fly above the ground and around me. I let out a faint laugh, smiling at the leaves which danced and fluttered in abundance. Then the breeze was gone and all was still and the forest fell into silence. I was about to start walking again when a faint crack resounded through the trees; the sound of a twig snapping. It had been so faint but definitely there, any pair of normal ears wouldn't have been able to detect the faint noise. I span round in the direction I thought I had heard it, my lightning instincts kicking in and I reached out with my mind, feeling for any intruders hiding out of sight, ready to pull back at the faintest touch but I was only met with insects, two sleeping songbirds, an owl just stirring from its roost and a lone squirrel. I remained motionless for several seconds, ears listening for any slight disturbance but there was none. I dismissed it; it had probably been the squirrel. I turned, taking one last inquisitive gaze backwards as I headed towards where the trees cleared. As the trees became sparser the ground underneath became more and more rocky until there was nothing but the expanse of rock which jutted out until it came to an abrupt end. My boots padded along the hard granite as I paced over to the edge. Once I was no more than two meters away I hesitantly inched forward until I was close enough to peer over the edge. The rock dropped at least fifty meters to the forest so far down below which stretched all the way out to the horizon where the golden trees met the sun and caught alight until they were aflame, burning at the horizon in the deepest reds, oranges and gold's. It was beautiful. My breath seemed to stick in my throat as I watched the sun sink its stunning radiance illuminating my surroundings. A slights wind swept across the landscape, causing my hair to whip out behind me, it made me feel alive, invigorated. I breathed deeply when all of a sudden a strong gust of wind came from the other direction and my footing shifted on the cliff edge.

"Be careful!" His voice was marred by concern and fear and I watched unsettlingly as the small pebbles which had shifted underneath my weight rolled off of the edge of the precipice and vanished as they fell down and down. Murtagh's sudden words made me jump and I slipped, my feet fell away from underneath me and suddenly I was gripping at sheer rock, desperately searching for any handhold that would stop me from falling to my death. I fell for a meter over the edge before my hands came into contact with a thick plant root that jutted out of a crack in the rock. My fingers clenched tight to the sinewy wood and my whole body jarred as its rapid descent was suddenly brought to a halt. A scream of terror tore from my lips and through my mental link I felt Elzar jerk awake.

_What's happening?! _He demanded. _Evie?! Where are you!?! _For a split second I saw the world through his eyes as he launched himself into the sky to come and rescue me but I knew it would never be quick enough. I screamed again as I heard the root groan and all of a sudden it became looser. Then he was there. I looked up and saw his face just over a meter above mine as he lay at the top, one arm desperately fumbling towards me. I looked into his eyes, they were dark and consumed by a bitter determination and terror on my behalf.

"Grab my hand!" He yelled, his hand urgently stretching towards me. I looked at it fumbling in my direction, I wanted to take it but something held me back and I gripped onto the root tighter.

"Take it!" Murtagh shouted. I looked up into his eyes again then saw the pain there when he realised that I didn't trust him.

"I'm trying to help you!" All of a sudden the root snapped and only my elven reflexes saved me. My hand snapped up into his a fraction of a second before it was too late. I felt his strong grip tighten around my wrist and he pulled me up as the warped piece of tree root tumbled into oblivion. His strong muscles flexed as he heaved me up with no effort whatsoever but as soon as I was clear of the cliff edge I wrenched my hand from his grip and backed away across the rock, never turning my back to him and often stumbling on loose bits of stone.

"Wait!" Murtagh called, rolling swiftly to his feet and coming after me. "Please. Let me talk!"

"Why!?" I cried, backing away faster a terrified look dominating my expressions.

"Why? I just saved you life!" He exclaimed as he perused me.

"No you didn't you just nearly killed me!" I shrieked, fumbling my way backwards over chunks of granite that rolled about my feet.

"What?!" He shouted frowning.

"If you hadn't scared me by telling me to be careful I would have never fallen off in the first place!"

"Well that's just nonsense!"

"No its not it's…" I paused "Why are you even here?!" I demanded.

"I-I followed you" He admitted.

"You followed me!" I screamed. Murtagh winced at my loud high pitched voice but didn't answer. "Oh my god that's just great!" I screeched sarcastically. "I have my own personal stalker!"

"I'm not your stalker!" Murtagh protested.

"That's not what it looks like!" I cried.

"Oh for goodness sake I just had to know if you were alright!" He yelled. As he said this my back thumped into a tree trunk at the edge of the rock plateau and I was forced to a stop.

"Please just listen to me" He said approaching until he was no more than a meter away. I felt awkward with the close proximity.

"I really have to go…" I stammered, turning to make my way back to the Varden.

"Evie…" I came to a sudden halt as his arm appeared in front of me, pressed up against the tree trunk blocking my route. Suddenly there was a thunderous roar which nearly deafened the both of us followed by a bone shuddering thump as Elzar slammed down onto the rock beside us.

_GET AWAY FROM HER! _He roared. The mental shout was so loud it hurt and the birds roosting in the nearby trees scattered in fright. I looked over at him, there was no fire being breathed from his snarling mouth but there was a ferocious amount of it burning in his eyes. Murtagh backed away from me in shock and I took the opportunity to flee to Elzar's side and he protectively hid me beneath the sails of his right wing.

_HOW DARE YOU…! _Elzar snarled. I pressed my hand to his side and felt that every inch of him was tense, as if he was ready to pounce on Murtagh.

"Please I only want to talk to her! Eka weohnata neiat haina alfrinn!" His sudden promise in the ancient language took Elzar by surprise and I felt him stiffen. He had sworn not to harm me.

"Please!" He repeated.

_Where is Thorn? _Elzar asked suspiciously.

"Waiting for me to return in the forest about a mile due west of here"

_How do I know you are not lying?! _Elzar growled.

"Eka ilerneo du ilumeo!" Murtagh swore in the ancient language again. He swore he spoke the truth. Elzar tensed again beside me, I could feel his mixed emotions swimming through me, he didn't trust Murtagh but he also wanted to believe him. I was prevented from seeing the expressions on Murtagh's face by Elzar's wing which shielded me from him.

_Do you want to speak with him? _He asked me. I paused for a couple of seconds, waiting before I gave him the answer.

_Admittedly, there are a few things I would like to know… _I said, replying to him with use of my mind.

_Speak then, I believe you are safe. _He replied and he furled his wing from in front of me. I stayed where I was and shyly looked back over at Murtagh.

_Come on! _Elzar urged. _We need to be back at the Varden before dark! _And with his snout he nudged me forwards but a bit too forcefully, I stumbled and almost went tumbling into Murtagh but I managed to collect myself just in time.

"Are you…" He trailed off as I looked up at him. He was smiling. "Doesn't matter…" He said looking away.

"Why did you want to talk?" I asked.

"Oh umm… I just…" He began but Elzar cut in.

_I will be back in half an hour. Evie be ready to leave. _He said and he began to flap his wings. I hastily backed out of the way of his powerful wing beats which buffeted air all around us at an immense force. I winced as my eyes open against the wind and peered at him as he disappeared into the sky. I glanced over at Murtagh. I felt exceptionally awkward and vulnerable now I was alone with him. I turned and began to slowly pace away in between the trees and Murtagh followed.

"So…" I began "Your oaths have broken?!"

Murtagh nodded. "I am a free man now"

"I have been told the story of what happened by others as I do not remember most of it but no one knows, how did you true name change?!" At that he stopped and I stopped too. He shrugged simply. I knew he was hiding something and he stalked past me.

"You don't give up much information about yourself do you?" I said walking after him. "You're very mysterious" As I said that he scoffed.

"Me mysterious, compared to you I am the most well known celebrity of Alagaesia!"

"Uh…!" I stuttered and he turned to me again.

"At least I come from this world!"

"If what Galbatorix said about me is true then I do come from this world" I said solemnly as he reminded me of my heritage.

"I'm sorry" Murtagh apologized knowing he had touched a wound. "That's not what I meant"

"I know" I said dismissing it. "You meant where I grew up. Yea what do you know of that world?"

"Only what I have seen of it" He replied as we walked aimlessly through the forest, wading through drifts of fallen leaves.

"What happened before then? How did you come to know of me?" I asked him.

"One day Galbatorix called on me and Thorn. We thought he was going to command us to raise another innocent village to the ground but when we came to his presence he handed me a picture of you" At that I stopped and I looked up at him in shock.

"H-How did he know what I looked like?" I stammered.

"I don't know" Murtagh shrugged "A dark magic of some sort. I know that he is accustomed to using it" He turned a bit red in the cheeks and hesitated before reaching underneath the brace on his forearm and extracting a worn piece of parchment which looked like it had been folded and unfolded several hundred times. I took it from his hand as he held it out to me and opened it. It was a picture of me. An accurate line drawing of my face and neck before my transformation, similar to my wanted poster that I guessed was pinned on every notice board throughout the empire. The pencil was smudged and faded ad the drawing was obscured by the large crease that ran through the centre of it.

"Did Galbatorix draw this?" I asked.

"I presume so. It is what he gave me along with instructions to fly north into the deepest untamed section of Du Weldenvarden until I found the weak spot where I could open a portal to your world. He made me memorize a very long and complex sentence in the ancient language that I can now not recall to open the portal and he promised that when I stepped through you would be there and all I had to do was bring you back safely. Which I almost failed in doing thanks to your friend"

"You mean Becker" I smiled. "Yea he can tend to be a bit… inconvenient! He's a good friend though…" At that Murtagh fell silent again and I guessed it wasn't the best subject for him. "From what you saw of my world what do you think of it?" I asked him

"To be honest as soon as I stepped there I thought it looked like hell."

"I did hate it. There was no sense of mystery and magic, like it had all been stamped out of the world in fear and all there was, was people sitting, staring mindlessly deemed to follow one endless path for the rest of their lives with no escape, no freedom, always bound by society. Never to be free. You couldn't escape because there was nowhere to escape to, all the wild places had been crushed and killed in our hostile attempt to enslave them, to make them function for our own purposes." I spat out all the pent up anger that had been lying in me for so long wanting to be released. Murtagh stared at me wide eyed.

"It doesn't matter" I smiled shaking my head. "All I know is that I never want to go back there. Never."

"Didn't you have friends there? Family?"

"All of my good friends are here in Alagaesia with me and as for family… Everyone leaves home at some point just not often quite the way I did. I won't tell you about them because their names will mean nothing to you but I grew up on a farm. I suppose it's not all that different from growing up on one here"

"My parents…" Murtagh began guessing it was his turn. He hesitated. "Its all a bit complicated and rather a long tale…"

"It's alright. You don't have to explain" I said, of course, I already knew his past.

"Let's guess, Eragon told you?!"

"Yea something like that" I replied not wanting to explain the whole 'book' thing.

"So you know that me and him are brothers?!"

"Yea" Although I knew more than that. I knew they were half brothers rather than full as Eragon had found out several months ago on his trip to Elesmera. Brom was Eragon's real father not Morzan. Now Murtagh no longer served Galbatorix I didn't know whether to tell him the truth or not but then I thought again. It wasn't exactly my information to tell. I looked down at the picture of me again that was in my hands.

"If you don't need this anymore then why didn't you get rid of it?!" I asked him. At that he turned red and with a shock I realised why.

"I don't really know" He lied "I guess I forgot" and he snatched it back from me and screwed it up in his fist. I realised we had both fallen silent and I felt awkward so I stirred the conversation up again. We talked for a while, time passing quicker than we realised as we walked through the forest. My half an hour was almost up by the time we paced back up onto the rock plateau having walked full circle for about a mile.

"When Galbatorix sent you to kidnap me did he tell you why or not? Or did you find out pretty much when I did?"

"I found out when you did. I was wondering what he wanted with a sixteen year-old girl"

"Why did he wait though? Until I was sixteen, or why not just let me grow up in Alagaesia full-stop?!"

"I don't know" Murtagh replied and he looked down at me. I mean really looked at me as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Maybe he was lying…" I muttered and turned away as I began to feel self conscious. I said that to reassure myself more than anyone else though but the facts were staring me in the face and deep down I knew he hadn't been. My head span with questions all of them though only Galbatorix himself could answer. I looked over at Murtagh again and saw he was staring at me but as soon as I made eye contact he looked away as if he was someone with a guilty conscience. I shook my head and walked towards the cliff again trying to keep back the thought that he was keeping something from me this time though keeping several feet back from where the rock suddenly dropped hundreds of meters to the forest below. The sun had now sunk from sight and in the dying light some faint twinkling stars were visible and the moon was a perfect half floating dreamily in the deep violet sky.

"Are you going to fight in the battle?" He asked me as he gazed upwards with me.

"Of course I am and don't think you of all people can change my mind. It is my duty and maybe we can rid this land of the famine that is Galbatorix once and for all." I looked over at him and read his expression. "You don't want me to fight do you?"

"No" He admitted "I worry about you too much but I know you have a stubborn mind and I could never change your intentions if I tried" His words made my stomach flip. In the far distance I heard the sound of approaching wing beats and I sensed Elzar as he returned for me. Murtagh heard him too.

"Need to go" I smiled at him and he gave a faint one in return. He looked as if he was stuck in the middle of a dilemma. He clenched his fists at his sides and screwed his face up in concentration.

"Evie I…" He suddenly began and he took a step towards me, eyes gazing at me longingly but then he seemed stuck for words, as if he couldn't find the right ones.

"I…" He began again. He seemed uncomfortable with me looking at him. "Doesn't matter" He said and then he was gone as quickly as he had come. I stood there bewildered as Elzar swept over the brow of the trees and landed gracefully beside be, folding his wings.

_So… Did you get the information you wanted? _He asked.

"Yea…" I replied in a whisper. "Apart from one"

_What's that?_

"Why is he keeping back information about my birth?"

Once again I am soooooo sorry it has taken so long to get this chapter up, and if there are any mistakes please tell me as I will change them. Also please review because I now have to write the next chapter and I'm not sure I can if I don't have your support!


	37. Chapter 37

Once again I say, I'm sooooo sorry for how long it took to get this chapter up, but I have been so busy and have only managed to work on this from time to time. Can you believe the first time I've had some time free is the 26th of December?? So here it is, the next chapter!!

Against the better part of my judgment and that of Anna's I stayed behind when Becker left. I knew how selfish it was but I couldn't believe Evie was okay until a saw her myself, but there was much work to be done at the Varden, with many families getting ready for the fight ahead. And so I stayed, helping masses of people to get there things packed up and chose the right weapon, all the while Anna chatting away in the back of my mind, asking me many a time how Evie was. I hadn't told anyone about Anna, hoping to keep her a secret for as long as possible, but whilst handing one of the many humans a sword I had got so annoyed had got so annoyed at her constant chatter I had actually screamed 'shut up!', earning many stares from the people surrounding me, obviously asking themselves whether I was still completely sane. I had dismissed their stared, determined to keep up appearances and maybe tell everyone when things had a chance to settle down for even just a little while.  
And so with that thought in mind I carried on, handing mortals weapons, directing them to battle and spending my nights training, fighting invisible enemies, firing arrows at targets, whiling away the hours until sunrise, hesitant to sleep for even a little while. I knew I couldn't stay awake forever, but the images that overpowered me the moment I closed my eyes were unbearable, and that coupled with an empty house had me on edge. But the longer I went without sleep the more the people left around me began to notice. Nasuada, Arya and Eragon had also left, but an old friend of Nasuada, sworn to keep an eye on me, soon began to worry enough for the three of them. Soon the woman, who happily followed me everywhere in a way that was more than annoying, started asking questions, most the same one over and over. A question I had always hated 'are you okay'. And being in a state of mind that was worse than normal I finally gave in, letting Anna take control of my actions, something she was more than happy to do. She surged through our body, taking control of our every muscle and pushing me to the back of our mind.

"Lana is fine, please leave her alone." Anna spoke in a voice that was annoyingly happy, making an instant mistake.

"Umm... Lana?" the woman, jasmine, said in a worry tone. I winced inwardly.

"Can't you take a hint lady? Leave – us – alone." I winced again, regretting letting Anna take control, but I was too weak from exhaustion to be able to force her back down. I knew Anna was just as tiered, or maybe even more so as she was also a mortal at heart, and just as I thought this the world pitched forward at an angle that couldn't have been safe, then nothing.

At first I heard but snatches, people talking in whispered tones amongst themselves, things moving about in the dark. When I was finally dragged to the surface it was light.

I woke up slowly, as if pulled back to the surface after being at the bottom of a lake, I felt weighed down, and didn't sit up as I slowly opened my eyes. The light that seeped through the curtains was dull and watery, though not the yellowy orange of a rising or setting sun. That in itself gave me a rough idea of the time. Finally I sat up, dragging with me the thin, itchy sheet that covered me. The sheet was at an angle, telling me someone had probably thrown it over me as an afterthought. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and pushed myself up with my arms to jump off the edge of it. I wasn't at all disorientated any more, and neither did I stagger when my feet touched the cool wooden planks that made up the floor. It was a feeling I hadn't felt for at least a month, cold wood underneath my feet when I woke up. This alone told me I wasn't in ruby's house, as her floor had a carpet that, although thin, was still better than nothing. I walked silently to the door, opening it only slightly and slipping through the crack. Outside I turned left and right, trying to figure out which was to go. As I turned left I saw that there were some stairs, so I decided that was probably my best bat, and Anna added with a laugh 'that or the window'. I sniggered quietly, trying not to make a sound. But it was quiet hard with Anna's happy chuckles echoing round and round my skull. As I shook slightly with silent giggles I made my way towards the stairs. It was only as I descended the first step that I realized that I had forgotten my shoes. Sighing and mumbling under my breath I turned back and started walking back through the silent house towards the room I had woken up in. Slipping back through the door I soon found my shoes by my bed and rushed over to them before picking them up. I decided that for now I would be quieter not wherein them, so I simply carried them in one hand as I descended the steep stairs. A few steps in front of the last steep I saw a sight that made me so happy, and I almost laughed out loud again. Right in front of me was the door that I could already tell lead outside. I quickly slipped on my socks and shoes, before opening the door, and walking straight into a small, rather plump woman. I staggered back slightly, feeling my cheeks warm up as I looked up through my tangled hair at jasmine. She looked, I thought, disapproving. That or she was angry at me. I looked down at her hands, to see that she was carrying a basket filled almost to the top with vegetables, some meat and bread. She slipped the basket up her arm so that her hands were then free, and then put her hands on my shoulders and spun me so that I faced back inside the house. When I hesitated before going back in to the house she gave me a push towards the stairs. Finally, deciding that I wouldn't be able to escape her for long anyway, I walked towards the faint smell of cooking. When I got to the kitchen, I found it to be small, smaller than even ruby's kitchen was and I had thought that had been cramped. I stood against the wall and watched as jasmine hurried round the kitchen, chopping this, cooking that, then suddenly she stooped and turned to face me. She seemed strangely calm today, her emotions not getting the better of her like they usually did. She took a deep breath as if steadying herself.

"Thought you might be hungry. I've made some stew. It won't be ready for a little while yet, so I thought we could take a walk." I could tell she was up to something, but curiosity got the better of me, and I found myself nodding.

Jasmine lead me out into the street, and briefly I thought about running off while she wasn't watching me too closely, but I decided against that once again, and instead followed her down the dusty streets. Her pace was quick, but I kept up easily even in the heat. After a while I began to worry, I had never been to the part of the camp jasmine was leading me. When we arrived I was surprised. We were stood outside a large building, one that must have been three or maybe four timed bigger than ruby's hut. I stopped as I got closer to the building, but in front of me jasmine carried on walking, oblivious to the fact that she was getting further and further away from me. But I couldn't carry on going. No matter how much I wanted to, I could only watch as jasmine got further and further away from me. Finally forcing myself to take another step, I was once again overwhelmed by a searing, white hot pain all over my body. It engulfed my body as if to burn it to ash, and yet I stayed standing, completely in one piece. I was snapped out of this feeling as someone shook me. I blinked little to clear my vision, to find that even after blinking jasmine's face still moved drunkenly round.

"Are you alright?" jasmine asked, and as I focused more on her I saw she seemed worried.

"What is this place?" I asked her, sounding like I had a sore throat. The world had stopped spinning now but I was still hurting all over.

"I thought you might be able to help them, and since you're going to battle soon I was going to ask you to come here anyway." She stepped aside and grasped my arm as she led me towards the building. The feeling intensified but I kept on walking, letting the emotions flow into me. By the time we had got inside the building the feelings had died down, that or I had become used to them. Then the smell hit me. There was no other way to explain it but the smell of death. It swirled around me, trying to choke me. There was no escaping it. But I kept going, wondering if it would be worth it in the end. At the end of the small corridor was a large room, filling up half of the bottom floor. All around me people lying on beds, young and old, dying, in pain. Then there were others, sleeping next to the dying, crying as they hugged each other. A house of the living dead. I stood there, shocked. Why would jasmine show me this place? And yet her emotions betrayed her. She was hopeful. Suddenly I realized what it was I was doing here. I was here to heal them, to save them from death. And yet I could only save a few at a time, my power was limited. Jasmine led me towards a small boy, closest to the door, but I stopped.

"Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?" I asked her, taking the anger from another patient near me into myself. "You are not god," I spat the words at her viciously. She looked at me, shocked. I closed my eyes and tried to get a handle on myself. I knew it wasn't my fault I was like this, I was weak from the pain that I could not escape. "I'm sorry." I whispered, opening my eyes slowly.

"Your right, though. I realize that you could not heal everyone, but you can heal a small few. This child, this young boy, will not survive through the night. Many others here are stronger, and will last a few more days. I only ask that you heal who must be healed." I nodded, knowing that she had a good point. I walked towards the sleeping boy, moving a woman who I presumed was his mother over so that I could get to him. I crouched down next to the boy, putting a hand on his cold forehead and thinking for a moment before whispering under my breath the ancient words that would heal him. Before our eyes the boys white skin became less pale, and soon his breathing evened out to. After a little while longer the boy's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled up at me, seeming still dazed. After a while I took my hand off his forehead, and the boy sat up slowly. The instant I moved away from him I sensed something was wrong. No longer was there the slight pressure in the back of my head, or the soft whispered thoughts of someone I had thought I had now befriended. Anna was gone. I closed my eyes and sensed round the room, searching for any thoughts or energies that seemed different or interrupted. But there was so much pain and suffering I couldn't really tell. It turned out I didn't have to. The boy I had healed, now sat with his feet dangling over the side of the cot he had almost died on. As I opened my eyes he turned towards me and smiled in a way that was strangely familiar, and loop sided grin that was made complete by the cheeky glint in his eyes. The expression seemed wrong of a boy as young as him, and it didn't surprise me when he talked like one much older than himself also.

"Thank you Lana, your help was MUCH appreciated." He said in a way that was clear, yet almost purred. I swallowed, a noise that sounded loud and nervous even to myself.

"Anna?" I asked nervously, afraid of the sad truth that, so obvious, was staring me in the face.

"Yes Lana?" the boy asked me, his eyes narrowing, looking as if he was preparing to run at any moment. I heard shuffling behind me as jasmine walked towards me.

"Lana, what's going on?" she asked, seeming nervous. I shook my head, hoping beyond belief that she would get the message. She didn't. "Lana, do you know something I don't?" she asked. I still didn't answer her. I just stared. How could Anna do this to me? I had thought we were friends. Yet the whole time she had been waiting. Waiting for an opportunity to get away from me, back to her fake king. I felt as if I had been used. I glared at the boy she inhabited, hate and scorn filling my expression. Then I watched as the 'boy' turned white as a sheet and fell to the ground, only managing to run over to and catching him just before he hit the floor. I lay him gently on the ground, his head nearest me. It was obvious he was still weak from the illness I had cured him of, and escape was impossible, for now. I worked quickly, knowing the boy could wake from his slumber at anytime. When I was done I sighed and leaned back. I was truly tired now, and already felt the price of the burden I would carry as Anna squirmed in the enclosed space I had locked her, deep inside my mind. She was giving me a headache, and that added to the pain and suffering I could feel and also the sleep deprived, achy feeling that was settling over me and I was ready to leave this place, dying or no dying people to be saved. And that was what I did. I fled as quickly as I could away from the pain, the suffering, the stench of dead, and the dying, lying fitfully in their temporary beds.

After spending a little while alone in the woods I eventually made it back to jasmines. The promise of warm food and a bed for the night soon became too tempting to pass up, as it got cold quickly. Jasmine seemed surprised to see me, but welcomed me all the same with open arms. Neither of us talked about that day. I went back there each day for ten days in a row, but was careful this time. Anna was locked away so deep in my unconscious that I thought she might be lost forever, and she hardy struggled, just a little flutter from time to time. It was like she was testing me, to see how good the defences were. Each day I went back there I healed. Two, maybe three people a day, each day, and soon I could heal four, five or sometimes six thankful people a day. Once the closest to dying were saved it got easier on me, and I didn't tire so easy any more. It was like I was slowly building up stamina. And still Anna remained at the back of my mind, not even struggling, and she seemed to be slowly fading. Then came the day, and finally the command for the remaining few who had stayed this long to join the rest in camps. I was so happy at the news, it was the best I had had for a long time. I left early in the morning, deciding to go it alone. I could run faster that way, without need to wait for the slow humans.

Whilst jogging quickly through the tall, though not as tall as I was used to, and dense trees I looked up at the sky frequently, if not to check I was heading in the right direction then simply to see what time of day it was. As it grew dark and the forest grew less dense I decided to carry on running. I knew that there was no point, stopping for the night would just slow me down, mean it would take longer to get to the Varden's camp, and the friends I hadn't seen for a while. And so I continued. It was about 7 or 8 at night when I first felt them. Faint at first but there all the same. And so I ran in that direction, feeling the happiness that radiated from each of the souls crowed into a small tent, staying closer together to try and stay warm as it got steadily colder. I knew them instantly, and being so close to them filled me with joy and happiness. Then I realized something. Not all of my friends were happy. Two, or rather one whole being that had been split in half, was feeling unhappy. I instantly knew who it was, or who they were. Evie and Elzar, two of the same. I decided I would query them about it later on, as it seemed important to them. That was when the tent came into view, and I stopped thinking, concentrating only on getting there quicker.

So is that okay for all you guys?? I wasn't sure about the ending, then again I was writing it at midnight!! Please don't forget to review, your thoughts are appreciated greatly!!


	38. Chapter 38

I spent that night reciting what happened over and over in my head for Elzar's benefit as he inspected each memory. We had returned to find my friends all waiting by my tent all apart from Lana who had apparently stayed behind at Feinster with the women and children. Scoble told me that she had been having trouble with the second consciousness in her body. Apparently her name was Anna and according to Scoble, Lana had stayed behind to grapple and come to terms with her. Of course they all demanded to know where I had been but I didn't tell them which left them all feeling rather miffed.

I refused to try and understand the concept as I stared meekly at my watery soup and the hunk of stale brown bread that I held in my right hand. I caught up on all the news and they all demanded about my health which each time I said was fine and hastily changed the subject. They said they had all been helping out with prepping the soldiers for the battle that was looming ever closer. Swords needed to be sharpened, amateurs needed to be trained, armour needed to be forged all while traversing the breadth of Alagaesia. Still even though it was several hours since the sun had set the faint clanging of steel could be heard as people tried to catch up on their last minute preparations. Due to my earlier nap I felt no need to lapse into my semi-conscious dreams and watched gradually as the others began to yawn in copious amounts. I smiled as I watched Scoble's useless attempts to keep her eyelids open.

"I think you need to get some zeds" I said to her as she just saved herself from falling backwards off her log.

"So should you" She replied sleepily. "Soon as you have been on the brink of death for the last few days"

"Oh for goodness sake!" I cried "Will everybody stop going on about that! Yes I nearly died but I am fine now and I have learnt from my mistakes and will never try to rescue Lana from the clutches of Galbatorix ever again!"

"You should still get some sleep" Scoble said as she rose from her seat and groggily disappeared into the darkness in the direction of her tent.

"Yea we have a long days trek ahead" Caitlain said as she rose to join her.

"You have" I grumbled "Elzar will insist on me riding him to the next campsite for half an hour where we will spend the rest of the day waiting for you!"

It is for your own good! He cut in from where he lay on the ground beside me, his large scaly head resting on the log.

"Sorry we can't all travel as fast as a dragon" Megan said the faint flickering yellow firelight illuminating half of her petulant face.

"I suppose it can't be helped" I sighed and Caitlain walked off too. I gazed at Megan who was still scrutinizing a brown oak leaf that had fluttered into her open palm several minutes ago.

"Aren't you going?" I asked her.

"I'm not tired yet" She replied simply then remained eerily still;

This disturbed me a little but I said nothing of it.

"Nasuada wants to see us half an hour from dawn tomorrow I guess I might as well try and turn in as well."

Yes. Elzar agreed from next to me and he rose to his feet, muscles flexing then shook like a dog to rid himself of the loose dirt.

"Goodnight" Megan said her attention not on us but on something else different entirely. I paused for a second just to see if she would say anything else but when she didn't I walked off leaving her alone to contemplate her thoughts.

Nasuada had insisted I sleep in a tent next to Eragon and Saphira's in the centre of the encampment so we gradually made our way reluctantly to the centre of the quietening tents. We padded along silently Elzar finding it somewhat difficult in some of the narrower channels. Several times guide ropes would snap as one of his tail spikes snagged on them. Navigating the camp was difficult, but finally we arrived at a luxury red pavilion with an enlarged entrance for dragons. It was in the by far grander section of the camp, surrounded by other similar extravagant tents, one of them I guessed was Nasuada's one Izlandi's one Orik's and another Eragon's. I watched as an urgal footman approached on his rounds nodding to me in formality, his brutish face looking quite sinister in the faint light of his flickering torch. I smiled in return and he continued on his way. The presence of the other races was something I had grown used to in the last months; I had learned to accept the urgals and kull as part of the Varden although many people still didn't. Elzar who was fed up of waiting for me passed through the doorway into our tent and after a couple of seconds dwelling I followed. There was a new candle and tinder box placed on a small table by the entrance but I didn't need the aid of a flame to help me see in the darkness, the faint torch and moonlight from outside was enough to provide a sufficient amount for my newly acquired eyesight. A large section of the floor was padded with cushions and blankets I guessed for Elzar's benefit and no more than a couple of feet away there was a small camp bed also dressed lavishly with luxurious cushions. I didn't know how they could afford to transport the luxuries but I didn't really care. There was a large clay bowl set on another table that, by morning I guessed would be filled with warm water to wash. I watched as Elzar made himself comfy on the pillows, the bed to me seemed rather disapproving. I stood there for several seconds before Elzar asked

What are you doing?

"Don't know!" I smiled back then I made up my mind. I grabbed the blankets from the bed and went over to join him. At first he stiffened in shock but then he crooned affectionately. He let me get comfy up against his flank with my head resting on his foreleg before he lay his great head down next to mine and I stared into the large single green eye I could see which sparkled like a emerald and seemed to radiate a faint glow in the darkness.

Maybe we could do some proper flying together tomorrow. Rather than letting me be bored senseless for most of the day.

I would like that. Elzar replied. But not for too long, you do need to recover. He nudged me affectionately with his nose.

You could show me what it's like to be a hunter of the air. I smiled at that thought and Elzar crooned.

Yes. He said and his tail tightened about me. But for now good night. He blinked his large eyes once.

Don't let the beg bugs bight. I replied with a faint smile as I pulled the soft blankets closer around me.

If they dare try I will blast them in a fiery inferno.

At that I laughed. "I don't think that's quite how it goes" I whispered as I recited the bedtime rhyme in my mind.

Maybe not… He mused as I slipped away into my waking dreams.

When my dreams arrived they did not offer the serenity I had hoped and as I walked among the visions of my mind an ebbing sense of dread and fear overcame me like a stifling blanket.

Everything was black but then the blackness slowly contorted into beings, two dragons grappling with each other ferociously, one's hide made of shimmering darkness and the others an iridescent green. Powerful emotions coursed throughout me and I felt a gripping worry and love as I watched the two beasts contort around each other. I was about to run to their aid but a shifting human figure appeared out of no where and then there was pain like a scream erupting within my abdomen and I collapsed. I was afraid, so very, very afraid and then the figure of a man appeared above me with dark hair and eyes to soothe away my pain and the tears…

"Little one…" Elzar cooed as he hushed and doted upon me, gently nudging me awake with his soft snout and he had me cradled in his forelimbs. "It was only a bad dream…" He assured me softly with his mind. My blurry eyes opened to see his anxious face gazing into mine. I shook myself awake and my body seemed to thrum with the adrenaline coursing through my blood. I gulped, shutting the horrid nightmare in the recesses of my mind not wanting to think about it. It took a long time persuading myself to sleep again as I was scared I would reawaken the dream but Elzar promised he would wake me back up if he saw me stirring so I regretfully let my weary body cast itself back into my waking dream state.

The next day was the same, travelling ahead of the Varden and waiting for them to catch up all the time Eragon keeping a careful eye on me and they day after that… and the day after that. Life became a dull rotor as we progressed towards Urû'baen for better or for worse we did not know although by camp moral I think a lot of people thought it was for worse. Eragon and I became closer as friends day by day, I think it was because we shared the same aims and hopes but also fears. Now he had more free time on his hands he became my sparring partner rather than Arya who I had also grown closer to. She taught me more of the elven customs that I didn't know already from my lessons with Eragon, making me recite sayings and greetings in the ancient language that were traditionally used amongst her people. Both she and Eragon helped me to acclimatize to my body's new abilities. The dry land gradually turned steeper and greener as we headed towards the source of the Ramr River. The river ran down from the lush hilly landscape through the planes all the way to the to the Isenstar lake. It was here where we spent the final night, although we didn't know that yet.

The Varden camped in the base of a large fertile valley adjacent to a large plane with verdant green grasses swaying around the tents. The sun was setting and our surroundings were bathed in its golden light as it descended towards the horizon. Our campfire was set in a sheltered grove, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the campsite. The large fire roared in the centre of the surrounding logs and cushions and a creek trickled quietly a short distance away into the trees. I smiled looking at everybody's joyous faces in turn enjoying the carefree atmosphere that the moment held. We toasted chestnuts on the fire as marshmallows were yet to be invented in Alagaesia and laughed at one another's stupid jokes. Scoble sat in wolf form at the edge of the fire as it was a full moon, her large head rested on her crossed paws and a long pink tongue lolled out of the side of her mouth. Instead of laughing at the jokes and gags she let out deep booming barks and thumped her tail against the earth making us all jump slightly. Caitlain and Megan had somehow managed to conger up several bottles of mead and wine and nobody apart from me was exactly sober. My mind was still plagued by worries and I was slightly paranoid about the information Murtagh was keeping from me. It had been a week or two now since then but my mind was still beset with doubts. Eragon and Roran had joined us and were sat on a log next to Becker, generally being men as they had had a little bit too much to drink which in Becker's case wasn't exactly a good thing.

My acute hearing suddenly picked up the muffled sound of footsteps approaching from a distance in between the trees and I stood up, tense.

'Who is it?' Elzar asked telepathically from several miles away, sensing my shock.

"Not sure…" I mused. Everyone else was too drunk to take any notice of our actions and I gulped as a tall, lean silhouette appeared in between the shadows. I pulled my swords from my sheaths and balanced them in my grip, my body poised. The fire suddenly flared from behind me as Becker accidentally dropped a bottle of mead onto it, illuminating Lana's face in the darkness.

"LANA!" I screamed in delight, dropping my swords and I ran and swept her into a crushing embrace.

"Hey!" She laughed, squeezing me back tightly.

"LANA!" Megan screeched as she also noticed and she got up to run towards us, unfortunately she was too drunk to run in a straight line and there was a dull thud as she collided with the trunk of a birch tree. Lana and I both chuckled at Megan's idiocy and as we went to sit by the campfire I retrieved my fallen blades.

We were all busy laughing at things that weren't even funny when a figure fell from the sky straight into the centre of the flames. Everybody tensed in shock then I was suddenly alert and I jumped to my feet, surging to rescue the mysterious person from the fire before the flames engulfed them. I heard some of the others scream and shout as I dived head first into the fire after the stranger. I jumped straight in one side and out of the other, reaching in amongst the flames and grabbing one of their arms. We both fell coughing and spluttering onto the dirt on the other side. Luckily I had been so quick I remained unscathed and I gingerly sat up.

"BRIDGET?" My friend sat staring innocently back at me. "WHAT? HOW?"

"Is this Narnia?" She asked perplexedly and stared about her with wide eyes.

"NO!" I screamed shaking my head, still in shock.

"Where's Mr Tumnus?" She asked. I was quite disturbed by the way she swayed unsteadily and her eyes didn't seem to focus on anything in particular. I was speechless as I held her at arms length now unsure of quite what to say. Lana came and took over, shoving me out of the way.

"Bridget" She said slowly. "Can you here me?" Bridget remained blank. Lana took one hand and waved it in front of her face and I watched her lips as she uttered a short sentence in the ancient language then she snapped her fingers and Bridget jerked into life.

"Oh hi guys!" She said suddenly cheerfully. I smiled and gazed back down at her bewilderedly after all its not everyday that one of your best friends falls out of the sky from another world straight into a campfire. I watched as Lana helped her to her feet and I noticed that she didn't look the same as how I remembered her. She seemed to have shrunk and she was wearing green boots, dark green leggings and a green wrap-around top and her hair was long and curly and it looked as if she had been rolling through a clover field as her brown hair was densely packed with shamrocks and there was a small green top hat perched on top.

"Oh and what are you supposed to be?" I exclaimed hysterically. "A leprechaun?"

"Well… well yea actually!" Bridget replied in all seriousness.

"I give in!" I yelled, falling too the ground and slowly thumping the side of my head. "Why are all of my friends freaks and I'm the odd one out!"

"I would call you a freak!" Megan plucked up as if it was supposed to make me feel better.

"Gee thanks!"

"Yea!" Becker said, the word slightly slurred by alcohol. "You're a princess who's mentally bonded to a large green scaly thing! How freakish can you get!"

"Thanks Becker" I replied sarcastically although he didn't seem to notice "And you better be thankful that Elzar wasn't here to hear you say that!"

"Evie's a princess?" Bridget asked in a shocked tone.

"NO!" I snapped "Galbatorix is just a delirious old moron who is dumb enough even to mistake a codfish for his own offspring! In no way can I be related to that ancient evil tosser! He looks like a crocodile with a moose's antler stuck up its backside!"

A shocked silence gripped the fires audience then Megan lost it. She tumbled off the back of the log she had been perched on in hysterics and it didn't take long for Caitlain to follow. Scoble howled and Bridget was rolling around on the floor, hugging her stomach. I couldn't help it and a smile broke out onto my lips, the laughter was contagious. A few short seconds later and I was rolling around on the dirt, gripping my abdomen as it hurt so much but I couldn't stop. Scoble was now lying flat on her back, paws stuck in the air and tail thumping the ground as she howled. I wheezed, trying to stagger to my feet unsuccessfully then fell back over laughing again.

The air was radiant, blissful and comical; for once in several months we all seemed to be happy so it wasn't a surprise when an arrow hummed past, cutting through the atmosphere like a knife and embedded itself in a tree trunk inches from Eragon's head. Suddenly all of us were sober. Me, Eragon, Roran, Becker and Lana all sprung nimbly to our feet, battle instincts kicking in. In between the distant trees and foliage, by the half extinguished sunlight, moving figures were visible clad in burnished armour although trying to remain inconspicuous in the twilight gloom but my vision was sharp enough to search them out. Another arrow buzzed past, to my left and to my right, flitting through the chill air. I lurched violently away as one passed a fraction too close to my ear and I flung myself behind one of the logs just as the Varden battle horn resonated through the nightfall.

Evie? Elzar's voice was desperate and serious, he was returning from his hunt with Saphira and his thoughts were slightly vague as he was still several leagues away. What's happening? He demanded, sensing my alarm.

Hurry! I replied. I think we're under attack! Elzar pulled his mind away and I knew right now he was putting every fibre of his being into flying to my aid as quickly as his wings would allow him.

Someone grabbed hold of my elbow and I turned to see Becker.

"Come on!" He yelled and yanked me to my feet and we ran using and unnaturally fast gate after Eragon and Roran back towards the encampment. More arrows whizzed past but thankfully none of Galbatorix's soldiers had a clean shot. Some of the Varden's soldiers, already equipped in their armour ran out to greet us and fired a few shots back in reply, I saw one enemy fall down as he breached the outskirts of the trees, clutching his shoulder where the short range arrow had managed to penetrate his mail hauberk. I paused, watching as he screamed in pain before my vision was yanked away by Becker tugging at my elbow once more.

The horn had made the camp stir like a hornets nest; people dashing about in a mad frenzy and searching for their armour and weapons but I didn't really see any of it. I was lost in my thoughts, desperate sad and foreboding thoughts. Most of the people who swarmed around me now, shouting and yelling could all be dead in a matter of short hours. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that every person I looked at, that could be the last time I ever saw them, whether I knew them or not. I didn't tune into the frantic conversations around me and let all motion pass me by as a blur. The shouting, yelling, clinking of chain mail and weapons that filled the air at an almost deafening level was only background noise to me. I was suddenly pulled from the twilight and into candlelight and layers of material muffled the noise from outside.

"Evie!" I heard Nasuada's voice exclaim. "Eragon! Thank the gods that you two are ok! I thought you two might have been injured by the surprise assault! Where are Saphira and Elzar?"

"Flying back to the camp now as fast as they are able" Eragon replied. The sudden serious situation had rapidly sobered him up and every inch of him was tense I saw as I studied him.

"Good, good!" Nasuada breathed in relief. "I take it no misfortune has befallen them on their hunting trip?"

"Saphira says she is in shape enough to take on Galbatorix's army single-handedly"

With my help of course! Elzar added in my mind his thoughts hoarse with determination.

"Elzar is just as able!" I smiled as Nasuada's queering gaze turned to me.

"Good!" She repeated "The dwarven smiths are preparing their armour as we speak and I have just sent off two handmaids to retrieve your armour from your tents" She said too the both of us. I just nodded, trying to swallow the fear I was only just managing to conceal. I was desperately trying to shake off the thought that this could be my last couple of hours as well especially soon as what Angela had foretold back in Furnost.

"Please excuse me but I have a battle to plan" Nasuada said and turned away, her skirts swishing around her ankles as she strode back over to a large trestle table that was set up in the corner, laden with charts, maps, figurines and rolls of parchment pinned open by large glass paperweights. Jörmundur, Orin, Orik, Nar Garzvog and several other people I recognized but I couldn't pin names to were there as well and as Nasuada was drawing up and discussing battle tactics Farica was frantically trying to dress her in her armour. I studied the flattened grass at my feet just as I started to hear raindrops pattering on the canvas roof.

"Are you ok?" Eragon asked

"Yea" I lied. I was definitely now beginning to regret having future foretold, to know ones fate could be a terrible thing.

"Don't worry" Eragon said seeing straight through my lie "I'm nervous as well. I always am before a battle"

"How are we going to kill Galbatorix and defeat Shruikan?" I voiced concerns which I had previously kept only to myself. "This war will not be won until he is lying dead in the earth"

"Four against two" Eragon said "And if Thorn and Murtagh…" He said the name almost as if it pained him to do so "decide to join our cause it will be six against two. We stand a good chance"

I bit my lip, painful memories flooding my mind of when I had been at his mercy in Urû'baen. Standing by what I had experienced then I wasn't so sure but I kept my thoughts to myself. We all needed hope.

Just then the handmaids returned laden with mine and Eragon's armour. They pushed their way under the tent flap then the woman bearing my things came over and stood beside me indicating that she was there to help me get into it. I removed my cloak, tunic and weapons then let her strap the armour on top of my remaining clothes. The chainmail shirt jingled as she passed it over my head then she fixed a woman's cuirass on top. After that cuisses and greaves were strapped to my legs over my breeches and the sleeves of chainmail on my arms were tied down and small gauntlets were slipped over my hands. Finally she braided my hair tightly down the back of my skull, tied it off with a red ribbon and slipped my helm on top. The armour was a gift from the dwarves whereas my weapons had been a gift from the elves; the craftsmanship of it was extraordinary. The metal gleamed like polished silver and was wrought with beautiful and intricate patterns, also the whole set barely weighed more than my normal clothes allowing me enormous dexterity. Last of all the maid whose name I found out was Beatrice handed me back my plaited leather belt to which my twin swords were attached.

I stood twiddling my thumbs for a couple more minutes nervously as Eragon had his remaining armour strapped on and not long after that there was a great commotion outside as soldiers struggled to clear the area for Saphira's and Elzar's landing. I eagerly paced outside to greet them; just their presence gave me more confidence. I smiled as I greeted Elzar and as I did dwarves arrived burdened with huge sections of his armour, several pieces were actually bigger than the dwarves carrying it. Blödhgarm arrived with the other elves to help me and Eragon fasten Elzar and Saphira into their armour. It took several minutes to secure all of the buckles and straps around their large bulk meanwhile both of them were severely restless and raring to go. Elzar kept flexing his wings, nearly hitting passers by. When he was finally ready I scrambled up onto his back and we followed Orik, Orrin, Jorrundr and Nasuada who was mounted on her grey war horse, Battlestorm. We gradually made our way out from in between all the tents and down the Valley towards the plain where the dark smudge of an assembling army was just visible in the fading light.

The leaders of the Varden and the empires officials rode out to greet each other; converging on the humongous open plane.

Elzar was tense beneath me and so was I, we both felt unease at being in such an open place battalions of enemy soldiers about a kilometre away. I noticed Elzar paced next to Saphira as it made him feel more secure and we were just behind Nasuada, Arya, Orrin and Orik. The grass was so tall it just about reached the horses hindquarters and it brushed the rider's ankles. The sun had recently sunk below the surrounding hills and twilight blanketed our surroundings with the first stars blinking into existence in the sky above. To me and Elzar the faint celestial light was almost like sunshine and I guessed it would be to Eragon, Saphira and the elves as well but I could tell all of the others were finding it difficult to see. The skin at the corners of Nasuada's eyes creased as she squinted, desperately trying to make out the faces of the opposing representatives but I could see them already. They were old world-weary battle sergeants, their faces hardened by war with no emotions showing on them but malice and spite. There were about fifteen in total, all riding daunting battle chargers and garbed in gleaming armour with the Empires crest splayed across their chests and long flowing black cloaks rippled behind them. Their horses were somewhat off put by Elzar and Saphira but they spurred them to the extent where they bled until no more then a few mere meters separated the two parties.

Everything went deathly silent apart from the wind that whistled quietly in amongst the grass stalks and the jangling of horse's bits as they chomped on them agitatedly in their mouths. It seemed both councils were waiting for the other to talk so when no one spoke a spokesperson for the empire stepped out and withdrew a scroll from a small messenger's bag at his side. Unrolling the parchment before him, he read in a loud, deep voice,

"His royal highness Galbatorix, Emperor of Alagaesia would like congratulate the Lady Nasuada for amounting the courage to challenge his rulership. What you though may view as valour to defy his jurisdiction he sees as foolishness. Such an amount of precious life will be lost fighting for a hopeless cause. You know you cannot win; his army amounts to five times the size of yours so therefore he gives you the chance to surrender now. Your people shall be allowed their freedom and you shall only face imprisonment until you understand where your loyalties lie. Oppose his wishes however and may he remind you that the penalty for treason is death. He shall show you no mercy. His soldiers shall slay every last one of your men and then their wives, sisters, mothers and children shall all face the same fate. He entrusts that you will make the right decision. Long live the king."

The silence returned once more and stretched between us as the messenger rolled the scroll back up and inserted it back into his bag and Nasuada considered for a couple of long moments what Galbatorix had proposed. For a couple of seconds I thought she might accept his offer, I couldn't see her face from the angle I was at but her chest rose deep and heavy.

"TELL GALBATORIX I HAVE NO DESIRE TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS HE HAS SET FORTH! I AND ALL OF MY PEOPLE WOULD RATHER DIE IN VALOUR IN THE HOPE OF A BETTER EMPIRE THEN SPEND A LIFTIME OF PAIN AND POVERTY UNDER HIS ACCURSED RULE!" She shouted and the leaders of the Varden cheered in agreement. Saphira and Elzar let out thunderous roars and flames licked from Saphira's mouth, scorching the dry grass in front of her. At this, half the opposing party's horses turned and bolted and it took several minutes for the men to obtain control of them and regain their composure. "But I expect Galbatorix to abide by the laws of fair combat!" Nasuada added "No more sorcery or accursed soldiers stripped of their ability to feel pain!"

"So be it!" The empires general shouted. "Battle will begin at first light! You and your men enjoy the stars my lady for it will be the last time you ever see them!" The men turned their steeds and galloped away into the dusk with ripples dancing across the sea of silvery grass in their wake. None of us moved until they were nothing but specks in the distance.

"Come on" Nasuada said "Its time we got back" And we all turned and silently made our way back in the direction of the camp, all of us heavy with dread and desperately trying not to show it. As we entered the camp enquiring gazes wandered our way and people started to follow, anxious to hear what the verdict was. We carried on riding until we were at the congregation point in the centre of the camp, a large open area in between the tents with a small hillock at one end where Nasuada rode over to and dismounted. And we all went and stood behind her. The people came in great hoards until it seemed that all of the Varden was assembled each and every one of them boring into Nasuada with eager and anxious eyes.

"WE RIDE OUT TO GREET THE EMPIRE AT FIRST LIGHT!" She bellowed. Her words reverberated around the massive throng of people for a moment until they burst into cheer, raising their sharpened weapons above their heads. The noise of their optimism was deafening and I covered my ears until it died back down to a steady murmur.

"Now go!" Nasuada shouted "Rest yourselves, sharpen you weapons, mend your armour and ready yourselves! For tomorrow is the day where we will rise or where we will fall and the outcome of tomorrow will depend entirely upon you! Fight for your home and for your families! Fight with bravery and with love and I promise you that tomorrow we will defeat the plague that is Galbatorix once and for all!" The Varden roared again and with that Nasuada turned and headed in the direction of her pavilion, Orrin, Orik, Arya, Jörmundur and the others all following her.

Those were words of said as we turned to follow her as well.

They were indeed, the people of the Varden all truly believe in her.I replied using my mind for I thought that he would be unable to hear me over the uproar that was all around us.

She is well suited for the position that she holds, to be able to get people to believe in her like that and willing for them to fight for her cause with their lives.

I stayed silent at that remark as we headed towards the crimson pavilions that stood out amongst the mass of monotonous fabrics. When we arrived several stable hands arrived to take Battlestorm and various other peoples mounts. I dismounted from Elzar's back and disappeared inside Nasuada's pavilion after them as two large flaps were opened in the tent wall for Elzar and Saphira.

I stayed at Eragons side as we entered the throng of generals and battle planners. People were throwing suggestions left and right at Nasuada who I could see was beginning to feel the strain. It was over four hours before they had their affairs sorted and Nasuada managed to shoo them out of her tent. All I could think throughout the time was how much I hated politics.

"And as for you four…"

Nasuada breathed coming over to us and wiping her sweaty hands on the skirt of her dress. There were dark rings under her tired brown eyes and her hair was coming unpinned.

"I take it we are to go and rest ourselves in the few remaining hours before this battle" I said.

"No you are not" Nasuada replied sharply; the ungodly hour was getting to her. "You will not be taking part in this battle" She spoke referring to all of us.

"What..!" I began to protest but she cut me off with a brisk wave of her hand.

"We cannot expect to win the war unless we hold the capital and Galbatorix is flushed from his lair. As soon as we are done here you will fly out to Urû'baen and try to capture the citadel. If you fail at this we will fail here on these plains. We need you to succeed!"

"Bu…but!" I stuttered "That would involve killing Galbatorix!"

Nasuada nodded "I would send my entire army if I thought it would help but the fact is you are the only people who will be able to kill him!"

I nodded, swallowing my nerves and gaining my composure.

"Of course Arya, Blödhgarm and the other elves will be accompanying you but in the end; in the final moment it will all be down to you; your actions then and there. If you fall so will the empire that the Varden has been dreaming of but if you manage to kill that blasted man and his dragon you will be hailed as the hero's who saved the empire! Now are you with me?"

"Forever and always my lady" Eragon smiled. I just nodded and inclined my head.

"Very well" She said "Also some of Nar Garzvog's finest rams will accompany you to help with the castle guards. Now go and may the gods smile upon you as you stand before the king in Urû'baen" And with that we left the tent.

"Right Guys!" I exclaimed as I strode into my friends tent. "I take it you have packed your things and are ready to go?"

Megan, Caitlain, Lana, Bridget and Ruby all looked up at me, dumbfounded as Elzar poked his head in through the entrance next to me.

"Go where?" Megan enquired.

"To kill the king!" I said trying to make it seem as if it were nothing.

"What?" Lana exclaimed.

"Nasuada's orders" I explained. "Me, Elzar, Eragon and Saphira are to fly to Urû'baen to try to kill Galbatorix"

"So you and Elzar won't be taking part in the battle tomorrow?"

"We will be fighting our own battle in the capital"

"And you want us to come with you" Caitlain asserted with a smile.

"Thought you might like to come…" I mumbled.

"Awwwwww! She wants us to be there for emotional support!" Megan cooed sarcastically.

Elzar growled.

"Well if your going top be that bloody sarcastic we might as well leave you behind!" I huffed.

"No, no, no we're coming!" Ruby squeaked and everyone scrambled to their feet.

"Yay!" I grinned. "Oh and where's Scoble?" I asked glancing round the tent as I had noticed her absence.

"Went for a lope through the forest or something" Lana said as she went to fetch her weapons from the back of the tent.

"Caitlain, Megan?"

"Uh-hum!" They both muttered turning to me.

"Will you be able to fix someway of fast travel for you guys because I think we will be travelling quite hastily?"

"Sure!" They smiled.

"Oh god…" Ruby groaned as she saw the mischievous grin playing upon their faces that she knew only too well.

"We're meeting outside of Nasuada's pavilion in twenty minutes. Be there!" I ordered domineeringly. "Oh and find that blasted dog! She's coming too!"

"Yes ma'am!" Caitlain exclaimed jokily saluting me as I and Elzar left.

We returned to the meeting point, my stuff had already been packed for me and was lying in a pair of saddle bags just inside the entrance to our tent which I strapped onto Elzar's back. Saphira, Eragon, the elves and a couple of dwarves were already there and waiting for the party of Urgals to arrive, once they had we we're all ushered into Nasuada's tent once more.

Nasuada addressed us and told her of the amount of our own battle she had managed to plan.

"Of course" She said "There will come a point where the words I have formulated will no longer be able to help you for I cannot foresee the exact events that will come to pass, so I entrust you all to act with a wise sense of judgment and proceed in the way that is best for the mission. Urû'baen is no more than a days travel away for all of you; you should arrive at sundown and then proceed with the operation under the cover of darkness. I have only one bit of useful bit of information that may serve you. It surfaced from one of the Varden's spies in the capital several days ago. The entrance to a second secret passageway from outside of the city into the heart of the castle has been found. My sources tell me the entrance is located on the south-eastern side of the city under an old chapel in the small settlement of Heathley. I will not accept failure as an option so you will all go and kill that tyrant man and free this land and its people!"

At Nasuada's words the company of Urgals uttered deep guttural roars of agreement and unsheathed their formidable weapons, brandishing them in the air above their heads. I winced at the volume of their voices as I climbed onto Elzar's back.

Ten minutes later Lana, Megan, Caitlain, Scoble (in wolf form) Ruby, Becker, The Doctor, Abby, Connor and Bridget all turned up, most of them dressed in some form of armour and shouldering their minimal amount of possessions. The Doctor of course though was dressed in his normal attire and he grinned at me, twiddling his sonic screwdriver between his thumb and forefingers. I beamed at them, I still wasn't used to Bridget's presence after her untimely arrival into our campfire and I watched her straighten her small green top hat on her head she was the only one who seemed to have kept her previous attire.

In the minutes that were remaining before our departure I watched Megan and Caitlain conjure an especially large magic carpet in between them and I heard everyone groan in dread. Scoble, Becker, Lana, Abby and Connor decided to go by their own esteem rather then take a ride on the carpet.

I'm so glad I have my own wings Elzar commented as he saw what they had fabricated. As it turned out I bet Bridget wished that too. In the first hour of journeying she had to get off to be sick nine times in the end Caitlain and Megan got fed up of landing the carpet and said she would have to be sick over the side which made everyone's mood all the better so I decided to try and cheer them up with a song.

"We're on a highway to hell!" I yelled and soon after all of them had joined in apart from the men who just sat there and looked ashamed to be in our presence. Becker even flew out of earshot so he didn't have to put up with our singing. Luckily Eragon and Saphira were flying up ahead so they couldn't hear us. The land flashed past even though Saphira and Elzar were flying slowly as to let the Urgals and elves on the ground keep pace. I realised their speed was incredibly fast as I watched them, the sparse trees on the large open planes flashing past their small shapes on the earth far below.

The sun rose with violent splashes of colour on the horizon, bathing the landscape in a new light, and Elzar and Saphira had to fly closer to the ground to make them slightly less conspicuous to prying eyes from a distance. In the heat of the day the warm sunlight and the rocking motion of Elzar's wing beats lulled me to sleep as I had been awake throughout the night.

The cooler temperatures woke me and as my eyes fluttered open I realised it was around mid-afternoon. Eragon and Saphira were still leading the way in front and I now noticed there was low cloud cover for us to fly above as all I could see beneath us was fluffy white wisps of condensation.

How long have I been asleep?I asked Elzar

Several hours he replied. You must have been tired. We're almost there but when we land we will have to wait for some hours for the people on foot.

I nodded, swallowing my nerves and gazed around for my friends' flying carpet. They were only a short distance behind, the frayed piece of material rippling in the air as it rode the wind current. I stuck my hands in the air in a big thumbs-up and Megan and Caitlain waved back, all the others weren't paying any notice, instead they looked like they were being bored to death with the Doctors techno-babble explaining how a flying carpet defied the laws of science.

As Elzar promised it wasn't long until we landed, Saphira and Elzar settled gracefully behind thick woods a few short miles from Heathley. I climbed down from Elzar's back and jumped to the ground before waiting for the descent of my chums on their flying carpet. As I watched the tartan rug appear over the outreaches of the trees Becker slammed into the ground beside me.

"Congratulations!" I exclaimed and he looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "You managed not to crash land into me!"

"Whoops I missed" He said sarcastically.

"Oh ha, ha" I said just as Caitlain landed the flying carpet. As everybody disembarked they looked like they had just spent months at sea and they all failed to walk in a straight line. Bridget was even sick in a bush and then stumbled over to me moaning.

"What's up mushroom?" I asked her.

"Air sickness!" She grumbled and tottered past me to perch herself on a grassy bank. I watched her, intrigued as sparkling magic danced from her fingertip and caused a green leafy plant to sprout from the ground. She then picked it and shoved it in her mouth and immediately her complexion turned from a sickly green to rosy pink.

"Wow! How did you do that?" I exclaimed.

"Leprechaun magic!" She smiled in reply, obviously feeling a lot better.

We all made ourselves comfortable and prepared to wait for the party on foot although it wasn't long before we heard a third pair of wing beats. Everyone became tense as Thorn appeared over the canopy of the woods, the rush of wind causing the brown leaves on the trees to flutter to the earth. Everyone simultaneously sprung to their feet including me even though I didn't really know why. Thorn landed gracefully, sending only the slightest of tremors through the earth before running a few short paces as he folded his wings. I sat there in shock at their sudden arrival then looked over at Eragon and Saphira who had both become tense and wary. No one spoke as Murtagh dismounted from Thorns back and they both strode to meet all of us. We all remained silent for several more seconds as it seemed Murtagh was waiting for one of us to speak but when none of us did he decided to go first.

"Uhh.. Me and Thorn wish to help you in your fight against Galbatorix" He asserted.

"I thought you did not want to help the Varden" Eragon said in a distasteful voice.

"I did say that but I fight for the same cause as you now. Why does that mean that we cannot work together?"

"No" Eragon said simply and turned away.

"Think about what you are saying Eragon! I and Thorn would be a great asset to your cause! You're lucky we're even offering to help you! Without our help Galbatorix will strike you down in the dirt and spit on your petty forms!"

Eragon remained with his back turned and I walked over to him.

"Eragon!" I complained "Just listen to him! You know he speaks the truth! We need all the aid we can get only a fool would deny his help! Put your pride behind you"

He remained motionless. Saphira reached down and nudged him gently with her snout and I had no doubt she was offering him some of her words of wisdom.

"You can't let your past grudges get in the way of what is truly important" I said in a softer tone, almost whispering.

"I know my way about his labyrinth of a castle, the traps, the secret passageways and the escape routes. I know Galbatorix's demeanour and where his guards are posted and when they switch shifts." Murtagh announced.

'And I would help Saphira and Elzar tear them apart bit by bit…' Thorn spoke from beside him.

"We don't know if we can trust them!" Eragon said to me in a hushed whisper.

"No we don't but I would like to think that we can" I replied.

'He is your brother' Saphira said to him, knowing the right thing to say to get him convinced.

"Half-brother" Eragon growled under his breath but he was well out of ear-shot of Murtagh. "Fine!" He declared, turning to face him once more. "We accept your help but don't think that means I forgiven you for your felony"

Murtagh nodded slowly. "Then you should also know that you have been fed a false lead. Your spy has been corrupted by Galbatorix and he has already made sure that the tunnel is caved in. Passage through there is impossible. Anyway if you did head that way you would encounter hundreds of bewitched mercenaries waiting for you"

Eragon groaned at the piece of information and rolled his shoulders. I and everyone else looked equally dismayed.

"How do you know which passage we are headed to?" He asked suspiciously.

"We have been surveying your actions for some days now"

"There are no other tunnels?" Eragon questioned.

"There were five. All of them now are destroyed or impassable including the one which was used to pilfer Saphira's egg all those years ago"

'What then do you suppose we do?' Saphira asked Thorn and Murtagh.

"Go through the crypts" Murtagh replied smoothly.

"Awwwww!" Bridget whined. "I don't like the sound of this!"

"I'm listening…" Eragon said.

"There are grills all around the city walls which cover the entrance to the tunnels that let out drainage water. These meet up in certain places underneath the city and give you access to a lot of the buildings including the castle crypts."

"Yes but surely Galbatorix knows about that! He will have taken precautions!" Eragon replied.

"And he has" Murtagh carried on. "And that is why he will not expect us to go that way. He has put in place several mechanical and magical traps all of which though I know how to disarm. If you and your men follow me then none of you should come to harm and we should pass through safely"

I could tell Eragon did not like the idea one bit and neither did I but it was the only lead we had and we needed to act quickly.

"And from which direction do you suggest we enter these drainage tunnels?" He asked.

"If we just head to the wall and walk along it in one direction until we find one it shouldn't take that long. They are all obstructed by iron bars but I don't think that will be a problem"

"And how like that are we supposed to evade the city guards?" Eragon demanded.

"It will be undercover of darkness. Also the southern wall of the city is lined by dense woods which should give us cover"

'I don't like this. I don't like this one bit…' Elzar said 'We will be separated for too long, anything could happen'

'It will be fine!' I reassured him.

'You could wait with me' He suggested 'then we could attack the dragon keep together'

'No, the others will need my help to pass safely through the crypts beneath the castle. Everything will go according to plan, I'm sure of it. We'll be able to hear and help each other the whole time and then we will be back together before you know it and you can help kill this tyrannical git!' I felt a whim of amusement from Elzar's mind at that.

'But if anything should not go according to plan though know that I will rip the stone of the castle apart with my bare talons to get to you' I smiled at his words, feeling comforted,

'Thanks', I sighed and slouched against his side and we sat down together on the grass and everyone came to gather round us apart from Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh and Thorn who stayed where they were to eye each other with precaution.

"I've decided to grow a moustache" Ruby suddenly declared and we all sat there, slightly shocked.

"I… I think it will suit you…" I stammered and she stroked her chin.

"I personally didn't know that was possible for a girl!" Megan said.

"Oh I'm half dwarf" Ruby said "believe me its possible!" Our conversation kind of tailed on from that and we sat there happily for an hour or two talking about senseless stuff trying to forget what lay ahead of us and thankfully during that time Murtagh kept his distance so my friends wouldn't tease me.

Just as the sun began to sink in the sky I saw Arya and Lana emerging from the trees, followed by the battalion of Urgals and elves and my friends who had chosen to run. All of them instantly stiffened when they set eyes on Murtagh and Thorn and the Urgals growled and withdrew their weaponry.

"Sheath your weapons!" Eragon bellowed "They are here to help us!"

All of the urgals continued to growl but reluctantly obeyed Eragon's orders and they definitely did not seem at ease.

Lana, Abby, Conner and Scoble, who was now in her human form emerged from the throng of warriors and approached us. Lana saw Murtagh sitting some distance away and raised her eyebrows at me with a grin, unfortunately though Scoble saw.

"OOOOH!" She cooed. "It's Evie's boyfriend!"

"IT'S MY WHAT?" I scoffed, aghast.

"I must admit you have very good taste!"

"If you want your head on your shoulders I would shut up right now!" Lana warned.

"Why?" Scoble asked.

"Evie and boyfriend in the same sentence do NOT mix!" Lana exclaimed just as I threw myself at Scoble.

It took sometime for Eragon, Arya and Lana to pry us apart and calm us down and I was still sat there fuming as Eragon explained the change in the plans to the new arrivals. It didn't go down well. Most of them did not trust Murtagh and Thorn one bit and at first refused point blank to go along with it and Eragon tried to reason with them. Arya and the other elves being wise and understanding the terms of magic were quickly persuaded although I could see they still remained cautious and after some negotiation the Urgals eventually agreed as well although they seemed very reluctant.

I noticed the way Murtagh surreptitiously slipped away during the commotion, probably fed up of all the malicious glares and insults he was receiving but Thorn stayed to deal with them. I felt guilty although it wasn't really my fault and I stood where I was deliberating for several seconds whether I should go after him. Just as I was about to slink away into the trees after him a decision came about throughout the troops and they got their act together and I noticed them preparing the torches and the elves were stringing their bows and testing their elasticity. Bridget jumped to her feet beside me before spinning about so quickly all my eyes could register was a green blur but when she came to a halt she was garbed in glittering cuirass that seemed to be created from hundreds of inter-locking silver leaves. She then wore her normal green leggings and a pair silver boots but she had no helmet, this time her rugged curly hair, still full of clovers was tied up in a long ponytail at the back of her head. She pressed her palms together before there was light and a bow made of silver Birchwood materialized from in between her hands and a quiver bristling with arrows appeared on her back. She noticed me watching with amazement.

"See! Being a leprechaun does have its virtues!" She grinned and I laughed as my other friends began to prepare themselves.

Ten minutes later the troops were all stealthily marching through the thick forest leading to the city wall, sunlight was quickly fading from the world but my elven vision enabled me to see as clear as day. I rode ahead upon Elzar's back behind Murtagh and Thorn but ahead of Eragon and Saphira and they lead the way for us. Just as night had fallen we arrived at the outreaches of the trees and we skirmished along the edge, everyone making sure they stayed out of sight of the guards on the city wall who were now visible.

"I will go and scout along the foot of the wall" Arya said authoritatively from down beside us. There was a faint glimmer of magic then all of a sudden I could no longer see her form.

"Continue westwards and I will come back to meet you when I have found an entrance" She said. It was strange hearing her voice but not being able to see her then all of a sudden I knew she had gone. I looked out of the trees towards the wall and with my keen eyes spied a couple of faint footprints walking towards it.

"Come on" I said and everybody moved again. We continued onwards for maybe fifteen more minutes when Arya re-appeared amongst our midst causing several of the dwarves to start in shock.

"Calm!" She said in a soothing voice to reassure the dwarves who were now muttering angrily. "I have found a gate to the sewers but it is firmly locked down. I have already checked for enchantments and it seems to be free but I will need several strong spell casters to remove the bars. I immediately volunteered my self as did Eragon and four of the elves.

"No" Arya said, addressing me and Eragon. "You two must preserve your strength. Four of my strongest elves will be enough." saying that she vanished once more along with the others and several minutes later I heard the faint clinking of metal bars as they were rested on the ground.

I fear this may mean goodbye. I thought weakly to Elzar

Just for now then we shall be together again. You'll see, now you must go. He replied as I saw Eragon dismount from Saphira. With a deep regret in my heart I climbed down from his back.

"I love you" I whispered to him, pressing my forehead against his rough scaly one.

I love you too little one. He replied and in that moment our consciousnesses were so close they were the closest to one another they had ever been so close in fact I couldn't distinguish my mind from his.

"I'll flush him to the top for you" I smiled

Good, I don't want you hogging all of the action! As Elzar said this there was a deep rumble of laughter from in his throat.

"I'll see you later" And I turned, mumbling a couple of words in the ancient language before casting myself into invisibility and heading towards the wall. In order to get there you had to go several meters in the open in which I felt horribly exposed even though I knew for certain anyone above wouldn't be able to see me and it was only a couple of seconds before I plunged into the darkness of the sewers.

I'm not going to pretend that it didn't reek down there, the filthy water sloshed around my feet up to the bottom of my calves and I desperately tried the ignore the mysterious objects that floated past every now and again. I saw several other people wrinkle their noses in disgust as they passed into the entrance but the elves somehow managed to ignore it.

"Lead the way" Eragon said to Murtagh who nodded and moved to the front of the party. I moved as far to the side as I could in the confined space to let him pass and then we were off.

The journey was far from what I would call pleasurable. The tunnels where long and dark and extremely claustrophobic and after about one kilometre my neck ached from stooping over as I couldn't quite walk upright. We tried to be as quiet as possible as the tunnels amplified the noise of our movements but passing silently through there with a company of urgals and dwarves was nigh on impossible and Arya scolded them every time they accidently knocked one of their war hammers on the stone walls or walked with particularly heavy footing. I was second in the long line and Lana was behind me, followed by Eragon and I watched intrigued as Murtagh led us through the labyrinth of corridors and I desperately tried to remember the countless turns we made.

All of a sudden I bumped into Murtagh as he had stopped to get his bearings and I wasn't paying a lot of attention to where I was going.

"Sorry!" I grimaced as I lost my balance and I though I was going to plummet into the mess at our feet but he caught my arm.

"Be careful" It was the first thing he had said to me since our last meeting and the words made me quake slightly. I pulled my arm back and looked at the interception at which we had arrived. Another five tunnels lead off from the one that we had come down.

"Which way?" I asked in a whisper.

"Just down the second passage on the right its not far now, then the next turning on the left will take us straight to the door." He replied quietly. I nodded, feeling his eyes on me and I dared not meet them so instead I walked off down the tunnel he had indicated and he had no choice but to follow me. As he had promised no more than five minutes later I had arrived at an old gnarled door which looked like it hadn't been opened in decades.

"Wait!" Murtagh suddenly whispered and he caught my arm when I was about four meters away. "Let me go first to check for enchantments" and he passed by and approached the door. The wood almost looked black in the flickering light of his torch and I saw the distant look in his eyes as his mind reached out checking for any present curses or booby traps. He pressed his right had up against the old wood and I heard the others watching behind me as he murmured a few words and the door turned into shimmering light beneath his palm which rippled in the fire light.

"Go through quickly! I can't hold this open for long!" He ordered and I could see the sweat forming on his brow. I gazed though the translucent rippling light and could just about see a dark stone room behind. I hesitated in my motion towards the magic doorway, a feeling in my gut was telling me to stop and to run away. Murtagh growled and looked over his shoulder to see what was keeping me.

"Hurry!" He exclaimed with exertion. I had no choice and I darted through shining light into the darkness beyond. Nothing had attacked me, not yet anyway. I could see the cracked stone blocks which formed the long corridor in front of us on which rusting, empty torch brackets were set at regular intervals each one laced with centuries old cobwebs. I breathed in the damp musty scent in the stale air as I ran my fingers through the dust which lay near an inch thick on a narrow ledge set in one of the walls and I shivered. The place made me feel nervous and I didn't like it one bit but I was determined not to show my fear to my companions so I turned and smiled encouragingly at Bridget who was looking bloody terrified. She shot over and hid behind me.

"Are there any ghosts down here?" She queried with a shaking voice.

"I don't think so!" I laughed quietly to her but then afterwards thought to myself; it's not ghosts that we have to be afraid of.

Murtagh was strong enough to hold the door open for just enough time in able for everyone to get through including himself but when he let the enchantment go he sagged against the wall, panting hard so we paused a while to let him catch his breath. While we were waiting he met my concerned gaze.

"That was powerful magic holding that door shut. Simple but powerful" He said with heavy breaths and I looked back at the door through which we had just passed, it was now completely solid again as if it had never been tampered with.

"Will Galbatorix know that his defences have been breached?" I asked him.

"I think not, I checked for any monitoring spells on that door and this room before we entered and they both seemed to be free of them." I nodded briefly before shooting reassuring glances over at my friends. The Doctor was inspecting the room and I could tell he was trying to make the best of his surroundings. Soon as we were waiting I pranced over to him with a smile playing upon my lips.

"Hello!" He exclaimed when I arrived by his side.

"You look like you're having one of your little lost moments again!" I said with a touch of sympathy to my voice.

"Wars…" He muttered "Not my thing"

I snorted "What do you mean not your thing? You've been in hundreds of wars, ones far bigger than this!"

"It's not the size of the wars though it's who's fighting them and for what reasons. I mean I respect Nasuada's actions and choices and I'm certain she chose to do the right thing but you humans!" He smiled in frustration turning to look at me "You live and laugh and love in the most beautiful way but can so easily tear each other to pieces, never satisfied. You know you're one of the main reasons peace doesn't exist in this universe!"

"Its not just humans though, the elves are all involved and the dwarves and the urgals! You can't pin the blame entirely on the humans!"

"Oh really?" He breathed "Then answer me this. If humans had never settled on this land, if they had never sailed across the sea all those years ago would this battle be happening? Would the races that inhabited this land not be living in peace and prosperity?"

His point was profound and I had honestly never thought about that. I had always seen humans in my head as one of the peaceful races but I realised now, this war, this turmoil all around us was because of the humans. If they had never come here the other races would still all be living in amity and goodwill.

"You're too easily misguided from the truth that's your problem and you're too easily corrupted." The Doctor said as Murtagh made his way to the front of the group to continue our journey through the crypts. He watched as Murtagh shot a glance at me as he passed by and continued off down the corridor.

"What do you mean?" I questioned as we started to walk along with the group, trying to keep the sound of our voices and movements to a minimum.

"Sometimes you can't see the truth even if it's right in front of you" He whispered and headed off ahead of me, ending our conversation. I lagged around the back of the group then, pondering the Doctors words though not in too much depth as I was too interested in what was going on but I longed for someone to confide in and I was missing Elzar by my side already. Once of twice I tried reaching out with my mind but he was too far away for our conscious's to make sense of one another. I was perturbed slightly; after all he couldn't be that far away that our mental connection was undecipherable. I quickly forgot about it though, my mind had better things to dwell on.

Progress was relatively quick now with no stagnant water drifting round our ankles and we didn't have to stoop. I was impressed by Murtagh's navigating skills as we must have walked for at least a mile among twisting dark corridors and stone sarcophagus's but sometimes I thought he was making it up as he went along. Several times we stopped to remove enchantments blocking our paths and some of them were more powerful than Murtagh had anticipated so he had to call upon the elves for help in his spell casting so by the time I could sense we were nearing the castle basements they were all weary. We stopped again at one of the final junctions and Murtagh informed us of our next move.

Once we breached into the actual castle there would be a lot of guards so it was best to try and remain undetected for as long as possible and we would remain more inconspicuous if we split ourselves into smaller groups. Not many people liked that idea, splitting up may make us more inconspicuous but we would be weaker in smaller numbers and more vulnerable to attack.

"How can we all be sure to meet up again inside the castle?" Eragon questioned with a bitter edge to his voice.

"Yes," Arya agreed "We can't just wander around the castle in several groups aimlessly hoping to bump into Galbatorix. We need a detailed plan of action."

"We need to flush Galbatorix into the open somewhere where we can all get at him" Eragon said as he began to pace back and forth.

"You can't flush Galbatorix anywhere you fool!" Murtagh growled and Eragon stopped his pacing to scowl at him. "Do you think that he's an idiot?"

"So what do you suggest?" Eragon asked snidely. I shunted him in the ribs with my elbow.

"Murtagh is trying to help and this certainly isn't any place for quarrelling!" I hissed in his ear and he gritted his teeth in frustration then nodded more politely at him.

"I suggest…" Murtagh breathed "We make our way up to the dragon keep. That is the highest point of the castle and where Galbatorix can keep an eye on his empire and if he deems it necessary he and Shruikan can fly off immediately to intervene in any battles."

"Possibly the most awkward place to get to" Arya commented sternly. I could see the battle tactics flashing behind her eyes that her mind was already planning. "Narrow twisting staircases which confine our movements and amplifies the sounds of them; Galbatorix will know we are coming."

"But he'll be trapped" Murtagh added.

"Hardly" Eragon said. "He and Shruikian can fly away whenever they so please."

"I doubt he will though," I said "He relishes the prospect of battle and he's not scared of us. I doubt he would think that we pose a threat even in the slightest. He's grown arrogant"

"So that's sorted" Murtagh said "there is only one main flight of stairs up the tower to the dragon keep but there are several routes to get to the actual tower. We should split up into smaller groups and each approach from a different front. That way we are more likely to remain undetected."

"Who put you in charge?" Arya demanded. It was apparent that she did not approve of the authority Murtagh was taking.

"I was merely suggesting my ideas soon as I am the one most familiar with this castle. If you have any I will happily listen and then everyone can take a vote on which plan we act on" He replied politely though not without and underlying tone of sarcasm.

"If by some miracle we do manage to gain an upper hand on Galbatorix" Arya said with a look of disdain upon her beautiful visage "and he realises he is losing he will surely flee. He would never risk dying when he could all too easily escape to the wilderness and build up his powers again. Up in the dragon keep it's all too easy for him to do that"

"Well I guess that's where Saphira, Elzar and Thorn come in." Eragon inputted. "The dragon keep is one of the only places where we can fight alongside them and I'm sure both Evie and Murtagh would agree that's what we would all feel most comfortable with"

I nodded, confirming his words.

"Very well" Arya breathed "It looks like we will be following your plan after all"

So, we finally settled on a plan. The mission wasn't exactly thought out but I got the feeling it never would have gone according to plan if it had been.

Several minutes later I found myself in the dark subterranean corridors of Galbatorix's castle along with The Doctor, Scoble, two silver-haired male elves whose names were Kaleal and Halrith and an urgal. It wasn't what everyone had agreed to; Lana, Becker and Murtagh had all wanted to come with me but I had been fed up of indecisions so I walked off to see who would follow.

Any staircase I followed, it was the plan to head upwards so that was what I did and we stole through the night, keeping to the shadows and the darkness wherever possible.

We were running inaudibly down a moonlit corridor when Halrith jerked to a sudden halt in front of me and I staggered to a stop beside him, being careful not to pass where he was standing. My heart hammered as he reached up with an elegant pale hand and tested the ambience before him.

"There is evil magic afoot in this place" He whispered faintly. "I fear we may have already disturbed it. Can you feel the dark energies in the air Argetlam? So subtle we didn't notice them… Galbatorix is cunning in the way he uses his skills…"

As he murmured this I reached out and tentatively felt the air with my fingertips but it just felt like air. I extended my mind down into my hand and only then could I feel the delicate fizz, so discrete yet distinct, a slight form of static energy caused the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

A deep throated laugh echoed from the end of the passageway and I reeled around in shock and gazed into the darkness.

"Argetlam?" Halrith questioned. Only when I saw the look of puzzlement on his face did I realise no one else had heard it too.

"Evie?" Scoble was there with her hand on my shoulder and a look of concern in her dark eyes.

"Oh, nothing" I lied casually shaking my head "I just thought I…" but I trailed off thinking it best not to worry her. "We need to keep moving"

"That's the safest bet" Halrith agreed, "if we have already disturbed a spell then there's nothing we can do but move away from it. Hurry" He said, gesturing with a nod to the rest of the group and we all moved off, apart from the urgal.

"Urgal vodhr?" Kaleal asked, approaching him slowly. The urgal was breathing heavily with sweat pouring from his knotted brow and his pupils dilated.

"ZHADA TRAZHID!" He unleashed a guttural roar and swung his battle axe at Kaleal who nimbly side-stepped the blow which smashed into the wall instead.

"ZHADA, ZHADA!" The Urgal bellowed again and ran at Kaleal who dodged again but as he passed him by this time Kaleal slipped his deadly thin sword through the urgals armour and in between his ribs. The urgal fell with a choked snarl and his axe clattered against the stone as he fell limp on the floor.

"He betrayed us?" I gasped

"Not intentionally I think" Halrith said and knelt down beside Kaleal who was examining the fallen urgal.

"His mind was no longer his own. He didn't have the strength to fight it" Kaleal breathed.

No one has the strength to fight me! A cold voice laughed in my mind. Shocked, I threw up mental barriers as torchlight flickered at the end of the corridor along with the amplified sound of metal boots and soldiers shouting.

"Guards!" Halrith hissed "We must go!"

Kaleal effortlessly picked up the urgals motionless body, twice the size of his own and heaved him through the nearest window. The Doctor grabbed my hand and looking up at his I stole the words from his lips:

"Run!" and we pelted down the corridor. The Doctor would have been struggling to keep up if I hadn't been practically dragging him by the hand. There were stairs, archways, doors and more stairs. In all the confusion I somehow let go of the Doctors hand and before I knew it, it was just me and Halrith sprinting along a stone passageways several floors above, our silhouettes flashing in and out of the darkness in the moonlight.

You think you can run from me…

More corridors, torchlight, parapets, winding staircases; I was desperately trying not to lose sight of Halrith's silver hair. All of a sudden our way was blocked by a unit of guards. There must have been a dozen at least, slowly marching down the corridor towards us but unaware of our presence. I saw stairs, leading upwards just behind them but there was no way of getting past undetected in the narrow corridor.

You must go Drottingu… Halrith spoke to me using his mind. Run for the stairs and I will buy you time...

I gazed over at him; his silver eyes were shining almost as brightly as his hair in amongst the gloom. Normally, my conscience would never have allowed such an act but I knew that he was more than a match for a dozen human guards so as he fought them I slipped by the side, cloaked with a brief enchantment of invisibility and made for the stairs.

You think you can run from you own mind… The words were most certainly in my mind but I couldn't erase them, I couldn't block them out. I kept running and everything thing about me became a confused disarray of passages and stairways, I couldn't find my way, I was lost…

Someone's losing their way…The cold voice chided, I had no doubt who it belonged to.

Go away! I screamed at it.

I think you lost your way a long time ago though didn't you?

Get out of my mind!

But my dear, I am your mind. I cannot go away…

"I think I know my own mind!" I growled as I came to a halt in a dark room with several doors.

Oh do you? The voice chuckled cruelly. So you understand the confused mix of emotions. The self doubts, the fears, your own nightmares…

"I don't have any fears!" I proclaimed, trying to sound brave but my voice quavered a little.

Well we all know that's not true! He laughed and a form materialized out of the darkness and there he was eyes as black as death with a livid white face stretched tight over what used to be a handsome face. My body shook remembering the pain he had subjected it to on our last encounter and he smiled a grim twisted smile which seethed hatred and sent a shiver down my spine.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the whining, self pitying little girl… You haven't changed much have you?"

"I'm more powerful than you would expect, that was how I escaped all those months ago…" with each word I grew more confidence and my voice trembled a little bit less. "You constantly underestimate me and that's going to be your down fall!"

He laughed again, "how naïve you are my dear… You think you can save the people of this empire from their own stupidity? Your fight was doomed from the moment you started it. You have condemned hundreds of people to death by letting them think that with another rider by their side they have the power to overthrow me! You're no rider! You're a pathetic excuse! God knows what that dragon of yours was thinking when he decided to hatch for you!"

"He chose me because…"

"The best part is though that you thought you could be a hero! Ha! You're worthless! You should have stayed in that other world where you belong! You played the part of a nobody quite well in that society!"

"You're wrong!" I objected. "Elzar chose me for a reason! He…"

"Elzar this, Elzar that! Had it ever occurred to you that after all that time I kept him locked down in the volts he became deluded? Or, he was so fed up of waiting that he had to make do with you when you came blundering along! You've doomed them all!"

"No!"

"Think of all the pitiable mistakes that you've made! You didn't manage to escape by yourself last time did you? You were on the brink of death and if it wasn't for that fool Murtagh…"

"He isn't a fool!"

"Oh! What's this?" He laughed "Oh this is too good… You actually believe that boy is in love with you! Blimey and I thought you might be intelligent when we first met! That boy is the son of Morzan, the deceitful and malevolent and you think he's capable of love!"

"He's not like his father!" I retorted.

"Oh really! Can't you see how he's deceived you? You're weak! Not only in body but also in mind! He's stringing you along!"

"He's not! He's a better person then you would ever believe him to be!"

"Ha, ha, ha. You amuse me my dear. Don't you remember the hatred he had for you when you first met, hatred doesn't just vanish into thin air you know, it waits, its cunning…"

"Fear was ebbing its way into my heart and doubts wormed their way into my mind.

"You should give up now, save yourself the hassle!" The dark apparition continued. "Your friends would probably do a better job without you after all, without you there to always stick your foot in things"

"They're my friends… they believe in me…"

"They pity you. They pity the weakling and are too soft hearted to speak the truth about how they feel. You're the odd one out and always have been, the ugly duckling surrounded by beautiful friends who are stronger and braver than you. Did it ever occur to you that that dragon of yours hatched for you purely out of pity?"

There was truth in his words and I knew it, I had thought the things he was reciting to me many times myself before not daring to think them true, hearing them now uttered from his lips caused my strength to ebb from me. My nightmares and self-doubts were becoming a reality, the worries that constantly plagued my mind was a stifling darkness that I couldn't escape; I couldn't escape reality. The darkness was coagulating, closing in, in thick, smoky folds and I struggled searching for something, some form of hope…

"Surrender to it, I speak the truth. You've been fooling yourself for so long now wouldn't it be easier to just give in? Surrender to the darkness, confront reality…"

The blackness was becoming more and more oppressive, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, my will had been crushed. Then something snapped.

"NO!" I screamed. The shout was blood curdling and it rang in my ears. "YOU LIE! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I thrashed and thrashed, desperate to see but all that surrounded me was inky blackness and I felt my eyes blinking frantically.

"NO! HELP! GET OUT OF MY MIND!" I remember feeling my limbs thrashing against the hard floor, my heartbeat roared in my ears and my breaths came in great surging rasps. I screamed again and thumped my temples, the darkness was swirling.

"Resistance isn't enough my dear, not any more" The darkness grew back thicker than it had been before so much so that I could barely move.

"No its not" I rasped "but maybe realisation is." My breaths were shallow now; it was getting harder to talk. "I am weak but not how you describe me to be, I am a weakness; a weakness in you. I inherited your skills but not your demeanour. I was bought up to understand what its like to have friends, experience love and commit selfless acts. I understand compassion, sorrow, pity, forgiveness and you think this makes me weaker than you? It makes me stronger."

I gasped and my eyelids snapped open, staring at the high vaulted ceiling. I winced; my head was pounding, similar to as if I had spent the night swigging flagons of mead. Taking off my helm, I pressed my hand to my forehead and slowly got to my feet groaning.

Little one? Elzar enquired urgently. Are you alright? His sudden contact slightly shocked me; I must have been near the top of the castle in order for him to reach my mind.

I'm fine, at least I seem to be all in one piece…I replied.

Hurry! You're nearly at the keep! I can even see the wretched liver snapper!

I smiled as Elzar's thoughts rushed into my head and I put my helm back on and staggered out of the room. I ran along a wing of the palace and out of the windows I could see my self approaching the base of the massive tower which held the keep at its summit. Things started to flash past as I covered the distance in seconds and before I knew it I was at the base of a long curving staircase which wound its way up the tower. I continued quickly but stealthily as I had my suspicions that rooms I passed on the way up may have been full of guards as a precaution. I also repeatedly checked for defensive enchantments. There were one or two in place to alert the presence of intruders but they were easily evaded, if anything too easily but with adrenaline coursing through my veins I didn't stop for too long to consider that. My feet pounded on stone as bitter, determined thoughts rushed through my head which after a while became slightly disorientated due to the repetitive motion of climbing a spiral flight of stairs.

Hurry Evie, hurry! Elzar repeated. Through the occasional window set in the stone wall I could see myself climbing higher and higher above the sprawling buildings of Urû'baen and its proud towers. I noticed a faint line of red to the east along the arid horizon where the darkness of night fled from the suns rays. I gulped, I had been unconscious longer than I thought and if that was the case then where were the others? As this question entered my head the steps vanished from under my feet and in their place was a cold rock floor.

Hurry! Elzar said again. I can hardly bear the anticipation! I stood motionless on the top step with a nagging feeling in my gut and a pounding heart. Something was wrong.

What are you waiting for? He demanded. I took a pace forward and cast my gaze out of a window. The sky was empty and still; there was no sound of the familiar thumping wing beats that I knew. The knot of nerves in my stomach grew tighter. Something was wrong. I took a hesitant step forwards and then another and rounded the corner through an archway.

An anguished cry tore from my lips at the scene before me and I belted forward to my dragons aid. Elzar's form appeared tiny beneath the huge, writhing, black, muscular bulk that was Shruikan. Their bodies were sprawled in the centre of the massive keep, even greater than I imagined the one at Farthen Dur to be with dragon caves hewn into the stone. My eyes locked with his desperate vivid green ones; they held such pain and ignominy and great tears were welling at their corners. A strangled moan escaped him as Shruikan let out a growl which caused the stone to reverberate under my feet and clenched his jaw tighter about his neck. His immense ebony talons pinned him to the ground and scraped at his vibrant hide.

No! Evie please, stay away! He tricked you! Elzar cried at me. I was shaking with distress as I came to a stop and switched my gaze to Galbatorix, tears prickling my eyes. A malevolent smile spread across his face showing bright teeth and his black eyes gleamed.

"No Evie…" Another voice rasped. Behind him was Murtagh sprawled on the floor, his face twisted in pain with Thorn some meters to his side, restrained by invisible bonds. Saphira was also there; her blue scales were probably the most conspicuous things in the vast keep. As I looked at her she caught my gaze, her great blue eyes pleading.

Eragon? She asked, touching my mind with hers. I shook my head, desperately wishing that I could inform her of her rider's whereabouts.

I'm sorry Saphira I don't know… At my answer she let out a great roar and thrashed frantically but to no avail.

"Be quiet you beast!" Galbatorix bellowed and with a simple wave of his pulsing black hand her jaw snapped shut. With Saphira quietened he turned to me.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the valiant heroine herself! I should really congratulate you for being the second to be able to pass my mind traps, you would've been first if I hadn't taught Murtagh so well" He snarled, casting his gaze back in his direction. "And thanks to me teaching him so well we weren't able to finish our intriguing conversation last time now were we?"

"Where are the others?" I demanded "What have you done to them?"

"I thought I had made that clear my dear? They are otherwise engaged with those fun little traps designed to halt an attack of this sort in its tracks. Only the strongest can survive their onslaught, Eragon will probably join us in a minute and maybe an elf or two although I hope not, they are awfully tedious." Fear for my friends twisted my gut. They would all be alright surely? None of them were normal humans, they would be strong enough.

Elzar crooned in discomfort again and my heart throbbed in anxiety, severing my wave of thought.

"Let him go!" I exclaimed.

"And why would I do that?" Galbatorix said, grim humour causing the edges of his twisted mouth to curl into a smile. "So he can attack my dragon instead?"

"No, he would attack you. You are the evil here" I replied coolly. Galbatorix frowned.

"You are quite the nuisance you know" He said under his breath, stroking the hilt of his white sword with his fingertips. Seeing him do this instinctively caused my hands to do the same and there was a glint in his eyes as he noticed my actions.

"You honestly think you can fight me?" He laughed bitterly. I remained silent and instead obtained a fighting stance and drew my blades from their sheaths. Galbatorix growled. "I guess we shall see then" He breathed. He was upon me in a flash and I barely had time to get into a defensive position before his ivory blade smashed into mine. I gasped at the force of his blow; even with my elven strength he was immensely strong, too strong in fact to keep our blades together. I parried him off and danced away with nimble footing. I played to my strength, using quick dexterous blows and avoiding any heavy contact because he would easily overpower me. My two blades seemed to keep his busy but I got the feeling that he was toying with me. I tried to land a knick on his left arm by slicing his mail but I yelped when the manoeuvre somehow ended up with me obtaining a cut on the cheek through the gap in my helm which stung furiously. I heard both Elzar and Murtagh growl from where they lay restrained, catching Galbatorix's attention. I tried to take advantage of the situation and I swung both blades viciously at his chest but they were knocked away by the invisible shield of wards that surrounded his body. He turned back to me and swung his sword with immense strength and with one blow sent me toppling backwards and I let go of my blades which went skittering across the floor. My head collided with the stone, dislodging my helm and leaving my head bare. "Enough!" He commanded. "I have had enough of these games!"

I moaned in pain as my head throbbed and as I winced open my eyes I locked gaze with Murtagh some meters away; his dark eyes desperate and sad. My cheeks grew warm and I tried to sit up, avoiding his gaze. Galbatorix noticed our brief interaction and a cruel snigger escaped his mouth.

"Well let's try a different method shall we?" He said, directing his question at Murtagh and releasing the magic which bonded him so he could stagger to his knees. Just before I could question his motives Galbatorix grabbed hold of my hair and dragged me over to Murtagh, kicking and screaming.

"No" I heard Murtagh whisper in horror as I was deposited in front of him and the deadly white blade of Galbatorix's sword appeared at my throat.

"Serve me" Galbatorix growled authoritatively.

"No, Murtagh!" I breathed "Don't do it! Please!"

I whined as Galbatorix smothered my mouth with his gloved hand and I tried to bite him. Murtagh's hands were clenched in front of him, shaking, his eyes sparkled and every muscle in him was tense. He searched my eyes with his and I pleaded to him silently and shook my head, my eyes brimming with tears. His nostrils flared and he looked up at Galbatorix defiantly.

"Not her." He murmured "Please."

"You cannot barter with me boy! You serve me or she dies and you will never see your 'love' again!" Galbatorix sneered mockingly. Despite the situation I found my face flaming and I whimpered as he yanked up my head, exposing my bare neck and pressed his blade to it. The metal was cold against my flesh and deadly sharp as I felt it cut the top layer of skin.

"You would kill your own daughter?" Murtagh demanded, playing for time.

"I think Evie herself has made it apparent that there is no bond between us anyway, what use is a female heir, especially a feeble minded one?" I growled in protest at that and struggled against his grip. His arms clenched around me and he drew the sword tentatively across my skin leaving a trail of warm blood. A look of pure agony came across Murtagh's face and his mouth hung open before it slowly and regretfully started to form the words.

"Eka lifa wiol ono un eka celobra onr einradhin" A tear slid out of Murtagh's eye as he spoke the sentence and as soon as he finished the sentence a façade came over him like he used to wear, concealing his pain.

"Very good" Galbatorix smiled and he shunted me away from him. Murtagh instantly caught me and I clung to his neck, pity and sorrow emanating from me.

"I'm sorry" He breathed.

"Why? I'm the one who should be sorry!" I breathed with tears running freely now from my eyes and anguish for him and Thorns behalf brimming from my heart. "You shouldn't have done it, I'm not worth it!"

"I would serve a thousand lifetimes under Galbatorix for you" He whispered in my ear and he kissed the cut on my neck then he slowly rose to his feet and stood with his head bowed, waiting for Galbatorix's verdict. I blinked slowly trying to comprehend what had just happened as I tenderly rubbed my neck. All of a sudden I was bound again as Galbatorix forced Murtagh to swear more oaths, eliminating possible loop holes through which he could gain freedom. I watched as Galbatorix leaned into whisper in Murtagh's ear I caught snippets of what I thought sounded like the ancient language and as he uttered the final word Murtagh sagged to his knees. He hugged his chest to stop himself from shaking and with his riders capitulation Thorn was no longer able to defy Galbatorix either and a few short minutes later they were both in the same place they had been a few short weeks ago.

Saphira growled again in bitterness and despair and thrashed hard against her bindings.

"Restrain her Thorn" Galbatorix said flatly. Unable to demur, Thorn reluctantly pounced on her shimmering blue hide and pinned her to the ground. Despite the dragon's younger age, due to Galbatorix's dark magic he now dominated her in size and was able to pin her down quite easily.

"No!" I breathed in horror.

"Now, while we're waiting for the others let's have a little fun shall we?" Galbatorix said snidely. "Pick up your weapons" He said to me and I gazed at him with wide fearful eyes, he laughed again. "Murtagh"

Murtagh looked up in response. "I said retrieve your sword," the king growled, "you too my dear" and my restraints vanished. Unsure what was in store for me I hastily groped for my blades and stumbled to my feet then the tight knot returned in my gut as I faced Murtagh, who also had his weapon drawn. "Now fight her" Galbatorix commanded.

"I won…" Murtagh's oaths prevented him from even completing his objection and a look of constricted desperation passed over his face.

"It's fine" I breathed reassuringly to him, forming a defensive position with my blades. "Do it" Still he hesitated, his knuckles tuning white where they were clenched so ferociously on Zar'roc's hilt.

"Now…" Galbatorix snarled so menacingly I was convinced he would attack me himself if Murtagh didn't in the next five seconds. A look of resignation came over his face and he swung Zar'roc into a collision with my swords. The manoeuvre jarred me but I could still tell it was far from his full strength and for a few short seconds our desperate eyes met and I could see in his how much he hated himself for what he was doing. Unable to maintain the gaze, with a quick 'shink' I unlocked our blades and pranced away. I circled him for a few moments before he regretfully started to make more half-hearted swings at me each of which I easily evaded.

"Fight like you mean it Murtagh or I'll do it for you." Galbatorix breathed threateningly.

Murtagh paused, his face twisting and with a sense of trepidation, knowing he couldn't disobey him I saw his muscular form tense. I re-obtained my defensive position but this time his blow was so powerful I stumbled backwards, my whole body jarred. Hell he was strong, I thought with a nervous gulp and I realised Galbatorix really must have been toying with me earlier. I once again tried to play to my strength which was my speed; I made my blows quick and fleeting, avoiding all of his bigger ones. I danced about him in circles, evaluating his strengths and weaknesses also desperately trying to remember what Arya had said to me about using your opponent's strength against them. With a sense of dread I realised his weaknesses were very few and far between and there were practically none I had any hope of exploiting apart from one, but it was hardly fair combat.

We continued to fight but I could tell Galbatorix was getting frustrated as neither opponent was gaining an advantage and I realised with a shock that Murtagh still wasn't playing at the top of his game. I heard the king growl and out of the corner of my eye I saw his gedwey ignasia glow menacingly. The force of Murtagh's next blow was immense, my left blade immediately deflected and sent skittering along the stone then Zar'roc's red blade collided with my right hip, slicing the mail and my greaves effortlessly and leaving a deep groove in my skin until my hip bone prevented it from travelling further. I gasped in shock and pain reeling away and Murtagh looked horrified. I clenched my side which burned with my left hand and defended with my right using my one remaining blade as Elzar hollered in fury. Murtagh seemed to be too shocked to carry on which thankfully gave me a few seconds of respite. I gasped, pulling my hand to inspect the wound and my palm was slick with blood. Prompted by the searing pain in my hip in the scarlet substance I suddenly saw some forgotten words. Someone who you have felt betrayed by before has yet more pain to inflict… I had felt betrayed by Murtagh before, when he dragged me from an enchanted Lafniar's chambers to the foot of the king and before that, all those months ago when he dragged me from my science lesson and delivered me to Galbatorix. It felt like he had betrayed me because I'd always placed so much faith in his character. And here he was, unwillingly causing me more pain by slicing me apart with Zar'roc. The realisation brought shock and I glanced up at Murtagh whose face was now set in a twisted grimace despite that though, his brown eyes remained soft as they returned my gaze and in them I saw something else, a carving of a rose in an outstretched palm. God my fate was a cruel and twisted one.

I suddenly realised I was wasting precious time and I jerked back to reality and decided to take action on my wound. Not wanting to waste my energy on a healing spell I merely cast one for the pain then gritted my teeth in grim determination when Galbatorix told Murtagh to proceed.

Surely he wasn't going to make us fight to the death? He moved to take another blow at me and a desperate idea formed in my head as I knew I had no chance of defending myself from his strength with only one of my swords. He swung at my chest and as he did I bent severely over backwards, dodging the blow then my left foot came smashing upwards into his wrist. In his shock at my sudden erratic manoeuvre Murtagh released Zar'roc's hilt and the blade clattered to the ground several meters away as I flipped back over onto my feet, thanking the flexibility of my elven armour. I heard Galbatorix take a sharp intake of breath and I pointed at Murtagh's neck with my remaining blade, briefly I had somehow managed to obtain the upper-hand. Both of us breathed deeply for a few moments and I realised I had to make a move before Galbatorix allowed Murtagh to reclaim his Zar'roc. As I took a swing at his upper chest Thorn uttered a rippling growl several meters away evidently fearing for his rider and as the fight proceeded it looked like Shruikan might have to restrain him as well as Elzar. Although, due to his sheer size I doubted if it came to that he would have much trouble.

"This isn't your fight Thorn" Galabtorix said "please restrain yourself."

I took a deep breath then as I made a pirouette manoeuvre to take another blow I felt Murtagh's arms close about my waist. He had anticipated me and my mind reeled trying to figure out how he moved so quickly as his arms constricted about my torso. Despite the situation my cheeks still managed to flush as I felt his body pressing into mine. Aggravated, I tried to jab at him with my sword but he grasped my wrist and prised it free, his strong hand contorting my weaker one. I knew then that I'd had it, now I was in his iron embrace there was no getting free but it still didn't stop me from squirming. Seeing I was getting nowhere I made a desperate move, removing my feet from the ground leaving my bodyweight unsupported. The sudden move made Murtagh overbalance and we fell forwards onto the ground in a heap. We struggled and grappled for a time, I even tried biting but it wasn't long before Murtagh rolled on top of me. He straddled my body and pinned my wrists above my head. We were both panting and I struggled against him with a few brief yells of frustration but my strength was nothing compared to his and we stayed that way for a while both breathing heavily and taking the time to compose ourselves.

When we became more poised we both seemed to become aware of the awkwardness of the situation and I managed to remember my final card. It was mean, but hopefully he wouldn't be able to remember. I struggled against his grip so I could raise up my face, and he hesitantly loosened his grip somewhat so I could do what I wanted. Murtagh frowned in confusion but didn't move even when we were only millimetres away from each other. I let our lips brush and in his moment of vulnerability I suddenly jerked away and before he had time to do anything about it, brought my forehead smashing into his temple. He immediately slumped and fell off of me, groaning and pressing his hand to the side of his head. Before he had time to react I grabbed my sword which he had prised from my hand and used the hilt to deliver a swift blow to the same spot and this time he was rendered unconscious. Unable to quite comprehend my overpowering of him I sat taking several long shaky breaths.

"You devious little bi…" The king began but he was cut off.

"Galbatorix!" Eragon's voice bellowed. My head snapped towards the entrance of the keep and I saw Eragon stood defiantly in the doorway. To his left stood Arya and to his right the Doctor. Behind his stood everyone who had survived the onslaught which from what I could see contained all of my friends and I let out a sigh of relief. The original number of the party had decreased somewhat though, and I steadily made a mental note of who were missing. Only two dwarves remained, none of the Urgals had survived and to my surprise only five elven spell casters remained from the original six and I noticed it was Halrith who was not in their ranks. My gut twisted in guilt and sadness as the memory of him defending me flashed in front of my eyes then I blinked sharply. I mustn't think of that now.

Galbatorix laughed, long and low, the sort of laugh that set your teeth on edge and began to slowly clap his hands.

"Well done, well done" He sneered mockingly. "I obviously need to work on my security enchantments."

"How about working on your kingdom" I spat at him as they advanced.

"It won't be his kingdom for much longer" Arya said in a rich but menacing voice, flanking Eragon and pointing an arrow at his chest. Another low, rumbling laugh.

"How naïve you are" Galbatorix smiled. "You can't harm me, you can't even touch me!"

"We'll see about that!" One of the dwarves grumbled and he took up his battle axe and ran full pelt at the king.

"No!" I exclaimed but it was too late and the axe was arching towards Galbatorix's neck in what should have been a fatal blow but of course it wasn't. It hit an invisible field about a foot away from his neck and stuck there as the dwarf was struck by a bolt of energy which sent him flying backwards several meters. A few seconds later the axe followed his with an unstoppable momentum and impaled him through the metal of his breastplate. I scrambled to my feet in horror and stumbled backwards towards my companions, Galbatorix made no effort to stop me. Eragon gave my arm a reassuring squeeze and pulled me back into the group.

"What happened to Murtagh?" He asked in a hushed voice, seeing his unconscious form sprawled on the floor.

"I knocked him unconscious" I breathed, Eragon looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"How?" He questioned.

"It's a long story," I groaned "I had to; Galbatorix blackmailed him back into serving him."

"Using what?" Lana enquired, hearing our conversation to which I gave an uncomfortable laugh and ducked out of it not before it became any more awkward and not waiting around to hear their retorts.

I strolled over to Arya who was knitting her brow in concentration as she studied her target.

"We can't touch him with his wards intact" She said frustratedly.

"Then we need to disable them" I breathed in response. "But how?"

"They would be weakened by a continuous onslaught of attack but who knows how long that would take? We have no way of measuring his strength"

I nodded in agreement. "He could have any number of Eldurni supporting him and we might not even make a chip in their defences before he manages to kill us"

"In that case then one of us will have to disable them from within his mind" She breathed. You could have heard a pin drop and I was sure that every member of our party had heard Arya's suicidal judgement. I nodded again, this time more solemnly; there was no question as to who it was going to be.

"You will have to deal with Shruikan and possibly Thorn" I said to her as I studied Galbatorix. His face bore an expression which was somewhat amused and he studied our party in return, trying to decipher what we were planning to do.

"We will not be able to help you" Arya breathed and turned to me. "It will have to be independent combat on your behalf, if we interfere we will be breaking the magicians code of conduct and we will give his the upper hand."

"I understand the rules of a magicians duel" I growled, I hadn't meant to sound so spiteful but I was nervous.

Does that include me? Elzar questioned in my mind.

Yes. I replied. Be strong for me; help the others to defeat that lumbering dragon who is restraining you.

I'll take Thorn, he replied. There are some issues we need to settle. The others can have this beast!

Good luck Big One.

Good luck Little One.

And with Elzar's last passing sentiment, the fingers of my consciousness slid out of the walls of my mind and groped their way across the keep to the warped mind I was assaulting. His brain was a black presence floating in abstract space, so convoluted and immense, fear flooded the pit of my stomach but I made myself proceed. I naturally recoiled as soon as I came into contact with one of the tendrils of dark thought and I heard a deep throated laugh.

"You're even more foolish than I thought my dear!" Galbatorix sneered from some meters away. "You honestly think there is even a hope of beating me at a wizards duel? I'm renown for having the most powerful mind in this land and that is why no one has ever overthrown me, you over estimate yourself yet again"

I clenched my jaw in grim determination and proceeded, not taking heed of his spiteful words. He was simply trying to undermine my consciousness and if he was aiming to deter me then he must actually have been worried that there was a chance I would beat him; of all the people in the empire I had the biggest chance of doing it. I forced tendrils of thought towards his once more, causing him to recoil his mind in order to protect his self.

"Very well" He snarled; this time there was no sarcasm and I barely had time to throw up meagre defences before the onslaught of mind upon mine.

Picture the leaf, picture the leaf! And there it was, spinning away on the glassy surface of the pond, bristling with brittle frost crystals. The forest around emanated the sadness of autumn, the trees with low sweeping boughs, causing them to stoop over the water. I focused on the minute details, the delicate ripples and the shimmering complexity of the reflection on the ponds surface and the stillness of the surrounding woods. There was no bird song, only the occasional rustle of dying leaves as the bitter wind swept through their midst carrying the odd one on a drifting descent to the earth.

There was something alien at the edge of the scene, or was it my mind? A sense of frustration, I ignored it and returned to the idyllic place, happy to watch that single leaf idly spinning around and around…

I sat there for a long while but something was wrong, I couldn't stay, and that sense of frustration was all the more nagging and I knew that it belonged to the person who was trying to get in. I was afraid, I knew that as soon as I left this place I would no longer be safe but the frustration would not desist and I couldn't stay here forever. I would have to trick the person, make them think I was still in my forest when actually I would be encroaching upon them. Yes, sneak around the edges. My forest would only exist though as long as I was there and I could see it. I trained my eyes on the leaf again and let them explore the fractal qualities of the ice crystals as my mind floated towards my intruder. I couldn't see, I could only feel but was I felt was contorted and intimidating and certainly not inviting, I delved into it though all the same.

First of all I felt his emotions, rage, bitterness, the frustration but also a sense of rejection. He wanted his people to honour him, to accept him and to obey him and he wanted me to do the same. My face. A seething hatred but also regret, then it morphed and it was no longer me my mind beheld but another's. Her eyes were deep blue and catlike, no, elven, holding wisdom way beyond their years. Her hair was the brightest platinum to the extent where it was almost white and its flowing lengths swept over her slender shoulders. She had a flawless porcelain complexion and delicate exotic features, carrying herself with a sense of nobility.

Areena… The name of the elven woman before me floated into being then all of a sudden she was in a crumpled mess on the floor of my dungeon and I viewed her with a sense of satisfaction from the other side of the bars, sneering victoriously. One of the Varden's spies was my prisoner; my subjects really had done well this time.

"You will never get hold of the eggs" I growled, clenching the wrought metal of the prison bars in one of my clenched fists. The elven lady shot me a venomous look and I smiled.

"Durza," I purred "make sure she realises the extent of her mistake" Out of the corner of my eye I saw the shade nod in understanding, he then entered the cell and dragged the elf off towards the torture chamber.

Everything blurred rapidly and then suddenly I was gazing manically at the massive map of Alagaesia painted onto a tapestry at the far end of a large dark room. One by one the members of the Forsworn were being killed off, with seemingly nothing I could do to stop it. I knew of the existence of the rebels but had never actually considered before that they might pose a threat, especially if they were to get hold of a dragon egg. I needed to make my forces stronger once more; I needed to get the eggs to hatch and for that to happen I needed to find their riders. The children of existing riders would be the most likely option, as the patterns seemed to be genetic. I cast my mind to Morzan's newborn son, Murtagh, he was no more than a few months old but I betted the potential was in him. Even if an egg did hatch for him though he would be no stronger from the rest, I needed someone who by my side would make me invincible. They would naturally have to match the strength of an elf or maybe… my strength, my superiority when it came to magic. My own child? A son? The revelation shocked me as I had never considered it before but the more I considered it the more it appealed to me. I would also have an heir in case something was to happen to me and then my blood would still rule over the kingdom. Yes, it was the perfect answer and I could sculpt him into the warrior I wanted them to be and I would be stronger than ever. I would need to find a suitable mother, someone as strong and as gifted I was. No woman immediately sprung to mind, all of my magicians were male, some of the women at court may be beautiful but they possessed no power. A grim idea crossed my mind and I at once wondered if it would be possible. What if she was an elf? The child would be inconceivably strong yet I wasn't sure if it was possible. Maybe with the use of dark magic and even better I had an elf in my dungeon a beautiful one…

The memory distorted with a lurch and the next think I knew I was pouring over books, inspecting magic runes, brewing vibrant potions and consulting with sorcerers, the memories flashed before me briefly before passing onto the next, forcing myself onto the elf in an intense passion, making her biddable with clever words. She miscarried twice but I perfected my magic and the third time I was lucky and I locked her away in more comfortable quarters for the duration of the nine months.

Flashing again, then I was looking down onto a tiny squirming thing swaddled in blankets, the product of me and my magic. A servant held the child out to me as Areena was unconscious on the bed, I had enchanted her. It was then also that I found out the baby was a girl. A slight detail that I had managed to overlook and anger swelled inside of me. How had I managed to be so stupid? The infant was useless. I shoved the servant to the floor and she dropped the child which immediately started crying.

"Get it out of my sight!" I spat and stormed from the elf's chambers.

I returned to pouring over my books, what use was an heir if it wasn't male?

The scene shifted into obscurity then settled again on the throne room. The hall stretched away before me lined with the magnificent black marble columns and the floor was polished to the extent where the flickering torchlight was reflected in its surface. My insides writhed with frustration and anger as I sat slouched in the throne, casting my dissatisfied glare over Morzan who was kneeling before me as I infiltrated his memories.

He had pursued Areena after she fled the castle with the child, yet another of my mistakes as I had let my enchantments grow slack. I didn't care for the child but I still wanted it back, it was mine after all and I hadn't even bothered to name it yet.

The elf was stood on the edge of a precipice deep in the forest of Du Weldenvarden, the brisk wind causing her white locks to billow around her.

"Where is the child?" Morzan demanded. Areena gave a laugh which sounded like tinkling wind chimes.

"Where Galbatorix will never find her!" She replied.

"Tell me what you did with the baby!"

"I gave her a second chance at life" As she said this her glance shifted over her shoulder and down the steep cliff edge. Morzan noticed her action and took a step forward.

"You're coming back with me! Perhaps Galbatorix will persuade you to part with the information about what you have done with his daughter."

"I took MY daughter to a place where she will be safe from that tyrant and if you think there is a chance I am returning to his clutches then you will be sorely disappointed"

Morzan made a desperate lunge but he wasn't quick enough and the elven woman sailed backwards over the rocky ledge, hair streaming. She was graceful even in death. He would be punished for this.

"Well you were right about one thing" I growled and swung my fist at the riders face and Morzan went sprawling to the marble floor of the throne room in front of me, a fountain of blood erupting from his nose. I persisted to torture him for the best part of half an hour; I wouldn't stand for the weakness of my subjects.

The stream of memories was severed and all of a sudden I felt a rush of confusement then shear rage and hatred.

"Oh no you don't" Galbatorix growled.

I was jerked back to reality by a searing pain that tore down my fore arm from my shoulder and as my vision sharpened I heard Elzar give a deafening yowl. Things then happened very quickly, in my bitter determination to get to Elzar's aid I didn't notice Galbatorix draw his sword my eyes were focused on the two dragons grappling. Shimmering darkness and iridescent green. I had just about registered the fact that the pain in my shoulder had been down to the fact Shruikan's claws had raked Elzar's open when there was a thud in my abdomen. The funny thing was I didn't feel the pain until he drew out the sword and I watched horrified as Galbatorix's white blade emerged from my body smeared in my glistening red blood. The pain was blinding, so intense I didn't even cry out I just gripped my abdomen numbly. An immense roar of grief ripped from Elzar's jaws accompanied by a jet of flame. Fire, that's what my stomach felt like. I looked down and saw that my hands were coated in blood. My blood. There was so much of it. Just as I thought my knees were about to give way a pair of sturdy arms wrapped themselves around me and lowered my rapidly weakening body to the ground. I desperately clenched to his armour, hoping that it would help me to keep a grip on reality.

"Evie!" Murtagh exclaimed "Look at me!" He rested my body on his knees so he could hold my face in his hands and guided my eyes to his.

"I'm sorry" I breathed.

"For what?"

"Knocking you out so nastily" I said with a faint smile.

"Don't try to talk" He said in a tight voice and the way his brown eyes were sparkling I could see he was holding back tears. So it was bad then. He pressed one of his hands to the wound to try and staunch the blood flow. The pressure sent a new wave of pain through me and I cried out my eyes leaking their own tears.

"Shhh" Murtagh breathed, placing his forehead against mine.

"Elzar?" I questioned with my fading strength. I didn't reach out for his mind because I was scared if I left my body now it would be over.

"Shhh" He repeated.

"It hurts" I murmured weakly into his chest.

"I know" Murtagh said, pressing his lips to my forehead and holding me tight as darkness swept over me and I knew no more.


End file.
